The Chicago Bears had their first winning season in seven years in 2025 and won their first playoff game since 2010. With the franchise turning itself around at the hands of head coach Ben Johnson and quarterback Caleb Williams, what’s another piece Chicago could add in 2026 to put them a step closer to Super Bowl contention?
One former NFL receiver believes Las Vegas Raiders edge rusher Maxx Crosby would be the perfect add.
Harry Douglas Says Bears Will Be Calling Raiders About Maxx Crosby
The Raiders had Crosby on the trade block all offseason after the organization decided to end his 2025 season early to avoid further injury. It seemed as though Crosby was on his way to Baltimore in March before the Ravens backed out of the trade due to the edge rusher’s physical.
That lit a fire in the ultra-competitive Crosby, and he’s remained in Las Vegas. However, the Raiders could still listen to trade offers on the five-time Pro Bowler.
With that in mind, Douglas was asked on ESPN’s “Get Up” about the team he believes could trade for Crosby.
“I think one team, they won the NFC North last year, the Chicago Bears,” Douglas said. “They have a tougher schedule in 2026, but if they have dreams and aspirations of getting further than they did a year ago, they’re gonna have to add more pieces on the defensive side, and particularly, at pass rusher.
“They have Montez Sweat right now and Grady Jarrett at the defensive tackle position, but who else is going to rush the passer? They lost so much defensively. So, I think at some point, the Chicago Bears will be calling the Las Vegas Raiders to acquire Maxx Crosby.”
The addition of Crosby to the Bears’ defensive line would make it a dangerous group, as the Raiders star’s addition would be to almost any unit. However, there would have to be some money moved around for Chicago to make that work.
BE AN NFL GM: PFSN’s Ultimate GM Simulator
Crosby is due $30 million in 2026 with a cap hit of about $35.8 million, according to Spotrac. The Bears only have about $8.3 million in cap space available for the 2026 season, according to overthecap.com.
Even if the Raiders were willing to take on some of Crosby’s contract, the Bears would have to create some space for him to fit in.
And Las Vegas doesn’t necessarily need to trade the star defender, who finished second on the PFSN NFL EDGE Impact Rankings last season. The Raiders are in a rebuild, and outside of a strong offensive line, a dangerous defensive line is one of the most important pieces for a team in that situation.
Regardless of where Crosby starts or finishes the 2026 season, there are few in the league who show the level of competition and drive that he does, and his impact will be felt wherever he is.
