Amid the avalanche of moves throughout the football world in free agency, the biggest story was a transaction that never came to fruition. The Las Vegas Raiders traded edge rusher Maxx Crosby to the Baltimore Ravens for two first-round picks. On Tuesday, the Ravens backed out of the deal due to an issue with Crosby’s physical.
The news thrust the league into pandemonium and opened the door for other contenders to acquire the All-Pro edge rusher.
Caleb Williams Sparks Speculation as Bears Eye Trade for Raiders Pass Rusher Maxx Crosby
While Baltimore initially won the Crosby sweepstakes with two first-round picks, there was no shortage of interested teams. The Dallas Cowboys were rumored to be interested, and many penciled in the Chicago Bears as a potential fit.
Crosby is the type of difference-maker at a premium position that could reasonably tilt the scales during January football. As Chicago looks to stave off defensive regression, made more likely by unsustainable turnover rates, Crosby offers a proven ability to both rush the passer and stop the run.
Now, Crosby is back on the trade block. He seems unlikely to go for quite as high of a price, and his medicals will be under further scrutiny, but plenty of teams figure to be in the conversation.
“Breaking, just got a text from a very credible agent who said [there] is belief around League that the Bears will look into trading for Crosby,” Greg Gabriel reported.
One team squarely out on Crosby is Baltimore. It would have been possible for Crosby to remain a Raven on a cheaper deal than initially anticipated. Instead, Baltimore pivoted entirely, signing former Cincinnati Bengals edge rusher Trey Hendrickson to a four-year, $112 million deal.
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— Bussin’ With The Boys (@BussinWTB) March 11, 2026
Bears quarterback Caleb Williams reacted accordingly, commenting a smiling emoji under an Instagram post announcing Hendrickson’s arrival.
Naturally, fans have begun to speculate that Williams has his eyes on Crosby now that he’s back on the market. His interest is well deserved.
Among the 123 qualified edge rushers last season, Crosby ranked second by PFSN’s NFL EDGE Impact Metric, behind only Cleveland Browns star Myles Garrett, who broke the single-season sack record.
Meanwhile, Williams took the kind of leap that could lure Crosby to Chicago. He improved to 20th by PFSN’s NFL QB Impact Metric and showed plenty of flashes that suggest additional growth is coming. Between his out-of-structure prowess and his knack for rising in high-leverage situations, the Bears will likely be playoff-bound again in 2026.
Crosby, coming off a 10-sack season and his fifth consecutive Pro Bowl nomination, would add to that equation, and it may cost the Bears less than they once imagined. As he remains stuck between the Raiders’ rebuild and the whims of Super Bowl contenders, Crosby will continue to headline one of the most consequential stories in recent memory.
