Bears Are Battling Six Other Teams For Maxx Crosby — Here’s The Biggest Threat
You knew when the rumors surfaced that the Chicago Bears checked in on the availability of Myles Garrett last year that they were very much in the market for a top pass rusher. Of course, that is easy to say. The problem is that such players are incredibly expensive. Bears general manager Ryan Poles would love nothing better than to land a star of that caliber, but he’d prefer not to mortgage the future while doing so. Still, after watching his defense struggle to pressure the quarterback again last season, one has to imagine the team is at least contemplating a move for Maxx Crosby.
The Las Vegas Raiders had another terrible season, and the Pro Bowl defensive end seems to have reached his breaking point. He wants to win. Now with the team facing another long rebuild, it feels like time for the two sides to part ways. Albert Breer of the MMQB reported that Chicago is definitely expressing interest in Crosby. However, they’re facing stiff competition. No fewer than six other teams were named as also in pursuit of the pass rusher, including some notorious heavy hitters.
I’d lean toward a Maxx Crosby trade happening, and maybe this week. But there’s going to have to be some needle-threading. I don’t think the Raiders want to go through the song-and-dance of shopping him, nor do I believe Crosby wants it advertised that he’s looking for suitors, given his bond with owner Mark Davis, and his view of himself as a Raider…
…We should know soon enough which path the Raiders are taking, with teams like Dallas, Chicago, Baltimore, Buffalo, New England, Philadelphia and the Rams keeping tabs on his availability.
The Bears likely don’t have the stomach for a Maxx Crosby fight.
While six teams having interest in him is no shock, the two that should concern the Bears are the Los Angeles Rams and Philadelphia Eagles. No team has earned a reputation for blockbuster trades over the past decade than L.A. Since 2017, they have conducted six trades in which they gave up at least a 2nd round pick for a player they coveted. There were three instances in which they included at least one 1st-round pick (Brandin Cooks, Matthew Stafford, and Jalen Ramsey). The Rams have two 1st round picks in the draft this year. They have more than enough ammo to make the deal.
Meanwhile, Eagles general manager Howie Roseman is the best wheeler-dealer in the NFL today. Nobody is better at working the phones for trades, often getting good players at great value or great value for good players. If Roseman is involved in this, you can bet he is putting all of his expertise into maneuvering his way into the pole position for Maxx Crosby. A chance to pair him with Jalen Carter and the emerging Jalyx Hunt is an opportunity he won’t pass up.
| Year | Player Acquired | From | Trade Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Jaire Alexander (CB) | Baltimore Ravens | Acquired for a 2026 6th-round pick. |
| 2021 | Von Miller (OLB) | Denver Broncos | Acquired for 2022 2nd- and 3rd-round picks. |
| 2021 | Matthew Stafford (QB) | Detroit Lions | Acquired for Jared Goff, two 1st-round picks (’22, ’23), and a 2021 3rd-round pick. |
| 2019 | Jalen Ramsey (CB) | Jacksonville Jaguars | Acquired for two 1st-round picks (’20, ’21) and a 2021 4th-round pick. |
| 2018 | Dante Fowler Jr. (OLB) | Jacksonville Jaguars | Acquired for a 2019 3rd-round and 2020 5th-round pick. |
| 2018 | Brandin Cooks (WR) | New England Patriots | Acquired for a 2018 1st-round pick (No. 23) and 6th-round pick. |
| 2018 | Marcus Peters (CB) | Kansas City Chiefs | Acquired for a 2018 4th-round pick and a 2019 2nd-round pick. |
| 2018 | Aqib Talib (CB) | Denver Broncos | Acquired for a 2018 5th-round pick. |
| 2017 | Sammy Watkins (WR) | Buffalo Bills | Acquired for CB E.J. Gaines and a 2018 2nd-round pick. |
| Year | Player(s) / Asset Involved | From/To | Transaction Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Jaelan Phillips (DE) | Miami Dolphins | Acquired for a 2026 3rd-round pick. |
| 2022 | A.J. Brown (WR) | Tennessee Titans | Acquired for the No. 18 and No. 101 overall picks during the draft. |
| 2022 | C.J. Gardner-Johnson (S) | New Orleans Saints | Acquired Gardner-Johnson and a 7th-round pick for 5th- and 6th-round picks. |
| 2020 | Darius Slay (CB) | Detroit Lions | Acquired for 2020 3rd-round (No. 85) and 5th-round (No. 166) picks. |
| 2017 | Jay Ajayi (RB) | Miami Dolphins | Acquired mid-season for a 2018 4th-round pick. |
This Bears regime doesn’t operate on home run swings.
Poles made that clear from the moment he took over. While blockbuster deals are a great way to generate excitement, they don’t often make it easy to sustain a contending window. That is done through consistently good drafting with high picks. It probably isn’t a coincidence that the 2010s were the worst decade of Bears football, maybe ever. It was characterized by two massive trades: the one for Jay Cutler in 2009 and another for Khalil Mack in 2018. Those deals cost the team four 1st round picks. How much of a difference would those have made if the team had kept them?
Maxx Crosby is an outstanding football player. He will instantly improve any defense he joins. However, the price tag for him will be steep. Most believe it will take at least a 1st round pick and a day two pick. It might even get up to two 1st round picks. In such a scenario, the Bears can’t be expected to stay involved. They don’t have the capital to afford such a move, especially with several other issues on the roster to address.