Maxx Crosby Klint Kubiak Bears News Bears Trade Maxx Crosby Bears
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Raiders pass rusher Maxx Crosby.
Trade speculation about Maxx Crosby has opened the door for the Chicago Bears to consider potentially making a deal for one of the NFL’s premier pass rushers, but the Las Vegas Raiders‘ new head coach may have just slammed it shut.
Crosby’s future with the Raiders has seemed up in the air since late December when the team decided to shut him down — against his wishes — for the final two games of the 2025 season, which prompted the five-time Pro Bowler to leave the team’s facility.
During his February 10 introductory press conference, though, new Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak made it clear that Crosby’s buy-in with the Raiders remains unchanged.
“I got to drink a cup of coffee with Maxx this morning,” Kubiak said Tuesday. “Loved talking ball with him and look forward to continuing those conversations. He was the first one in here working out this morning, so that fired me up.”
Kubiak also threw cold water on the trade rumblings that the Raiders could look to move Crosby elsewhere during the 2026 NFL offseason to jumpstart their rebuild.
“We want him to be a part of our success going forward. There’s no doubt about that,” Kubiak added. “He’s one of the best players in the NFL, so that’s a no-brainer to get to work with Maxx and to see him continue to have success with his organization.”
Maxx Crosby Is Not End-All, Be-All Option for Bears
Crosby would be one of the most popular veterans on the trade market if the Raiders decided to shop him around to other teams this offseason. The Bears would also have every reason in the world to call them about him, needing to improve their pass rush.
That said, Crosby is not the end-all, be-all trade option for the Bears in 2026.
As Kubiak said, Crosby is one of the NFL’s best players. He has established himself as a ferocious defender off the edge who can consistently impact the game as a pass rusher while also stonewalling rushing offenses over his first seven seasons. He will turn 29 in August, but he is still highly productive coming off a 10-sack season for the Raiders.
While the Bears would absolutely benefit from acquiring a player of his talent, though, the cost of doing business for Crosby is likely too high for them to give it much thought.
The Bears would need to clear significant cap space on their already-in-the-red books to fit the roughly $30 million cap hit that would come with Crosby for the 2026 season. He is also set to cost north of $27 million in each of the next three seasons of his contract.
Additionally, the Raiders may set the price tag on Crosby at two first-round draft picks, which is likely too high for general manager Ryan Poles as he tries to avoid the pitfalls that plagued his predecessor, Ryan Pace, when it came to trading off future selections.
Are Bears Better Off Fixing Defensive Line in 2026 Draft?
Even if the Bears feel the trade and contract costs associated with Crosby are worthy of the talent they would receive, they might have a difficult time justifying another big-money investment in their defensive line, given how much they are already paying.
Three of the Bears’ top seven cap hits for the 2026 season belong to defensive linemen ahead of the start of the new league year on March 11. Montez Sweat, their 2025 sacks leader (10), has the second-largest cap hit on the roster at about $25.08 million, while Dayo Odeyingbo ($20.5 million) and Grady Jarrett ($18.93 million) are closely behind.
The Bears could make cuts, trades and restructures to free up enough space to pursue Crosby — or, perhaps, sign a Trey Hendrickson in free agency — but the cap investment suggests that the NFL draft is a better route for them to build a stronger D-line in 2026. They could also stand to have more rookie-contract talent filling up their trenches.