The Las Vegas Raiders made some huge moves so far this offseason, including hiring Klint Kubiak as their new head coach. They are widely expected to go after quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. However, there are also wild rumors that one of their biggest stars, Maxx Crosby, wants out, and a recent interview has sparked speculation that he will go to the Chicago Bears.
A Bears Reporter Addresses the Harsh Reality Behind Maxx Crosby to Chicago Rumors
While rumors always swirl about players during the offseason, the Crosby-to-the-Bears talk was fueled by Chicago quarterback Caleb Williams joining the five-time Pro Bowler on his podcast.
However, Bears reporter Courtney Cronin recently joined the team on “Unsportsmanlike,” where she was asked about Crosby going to the Windy City. She cautioned fans not to read too much into a simple podcast appearance.
“Something to pay attention to, yes. Something that seems imminent or likely, I don’t think so for a number of reasons,” explained Cronin. “Let’s think about what the situation is for Maxx Crosby. He’s under contract through the 2029 season with the Raiders. If the Bears were to trade for a pass rusher of his caliber, it wouldn’t be the Micah Parsons package.”
Cronin noted that NFL insider Adam Schefter has spoken about this as well, stating that the Raiders cannot expect the same kind of compensation that the Cowboys got for Micah Parsons, two first-round picks, and a player like Kenny Clark.
“Micah Parsons was constantly in the Defensive Player of the Year conversation, winning it, and that has not been the case for Maxx Crosby, who’s two years older and has none of those accolades to his name just yet,” explained Cronin.
Are Maxx Crosby and the Bears something to pay attention to? Yes.
Are Maxx Crosby and the Bears something that seems likely? @CourtneyRCronin doesn’t think so ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/K9IyRhGHU7
— UNSPORTSMANLIKE (@UnSportsESPN) February 19, 2026
Bill Barnwell also did a speculation article on Crosby, and according to Cronin, that also got fans thinking this might be a good fit. After all, the Bears need pass rush help, and Crosby seemed to want out of Vegas.
There was speculation that Crosby, who ranked second overall in PFSN’s EDGE Impact metric, with a grade of A and a score of 95.3, wanted out.
“He’s shooting hoops after he gets shut down and put on IR for the rest of the season so they can go get the No. 1 overall pick. Maybe it’s a pairing that could work out. I don’t think that this has as many legs as people want to infer.”
Cronin acknowledges that Crosby would definitely be an upgrade over what the Bears have now; however, he comes with a substantial cost, and it might not be worth it for a team with many needs.
