Maxx Crosby
Getty
Maxx Crosby of the Las Vegas Raiders.
In and around the Windy City, inquiring minds want to know: Exactly what would it take to bring pass rusher Maxx Crosby to Chicago to join the Bears?
The Bears have already invested heavily trying to build a formidable line around Montez Sweat, but that hasn’t exactly worked out.
After acquiring Sweat in 2023 and signing him to a four-year extension worth $98 million, Chicago tried to fortify the interior. The team extended Andrew Billings on a two-year deal worth $8.5 million, and in free agency last year, added veteran defensive tackle Grady Jarrett on a three-year, $43.5 million deal.
They also signed edge Dayo Odeyingbo to a three-year, $48 million contract with $32 million guaranteed, but an Achilles tear Week 9 ended his campaign. None of those additions moved the needle for the defense much, which is why so many members of Bears Nation are wondering what it might cost to add Crosby, who is rumored to be disgruntled and ready for a trade.
Confirming “the Bears are one of” the many teams interested in a potential Crosby trade, Bill Zimmerman of Windy City Gridiron revealed what other insiders close to the Raiders believe it would take to move on from Crosby.
Las Vegas Raiders’ Asking Price in a Trade for Maxx Crosby Would Likely Include Bears WR DJ Moore, Per Zimmerman
Maxx Crosby
GettyReports are saying Maxx Crosby wants a trade. Bill Zimmerman reported the Raiders asking price from the Bears would likely include WR DJ Moore.
“I talked to some people connected to the Raiders about what it might take,” Zimmerman wrote on February 13 about a potential Crosby trade. “Neither of them felt that the first two round picks were going to be attainable due to Crosby’s age. If someone offers 2 firsts, the Raiders will probably just take the offer and not look back. One person said that he felt it would take Darnell Wright and a first-round pick to get the deal done. I think that’s silly. The Bears would never do that. Other people had a more reasonable approach.”
It’s good news for the Bears — and all interested teams, really — that it may not take two firsts to snag Crosby. And giving up Wright after the young right tackle just had a career year doesn’t make much sense. So what might the Raiders be looking for in return?
“DJ Moore had very little trade value as a standalone asset, but if he was used as part of a trade for Crosby, his value definitely becomes more interesting,” Zimmerman added. “While Moore may not be the equivalent of adding a second-round pick or anything like that, he could be of interest to the Raiders, presuming they are taking Fernando Mendoza, to get a reliable pass catcher in there for him.”
Moore can still serve as a No. 1 receiver, and he’s under contract through 2029 after signing a four-year, $110 million extension in 2024.
“Talking to one person connected to the Raiders, he felt the Bears’ 2026 1st, a 2027 day two pick, and DJ Moore (especially if the Bears ate some money and dropped his salary to about $18 million), is something the Raiders would strongly consider. I think that’s an offer the Bears would have to strongly consider as well.”
Adding Crosby Would Be a Game-Changer for the Bears Defense
Over seven seasons, Crosby has piled up nearly 70 sacks, more than 100 tackles for loss and well over 150 quarterback hits. He has also forced 23 fumbles. There’s no doubt he’d give Chicago’s defense a new, more physical identity.
Here’s a look at Crosby’s season-by-season production entering 2026:
2019 (16 games): 10.0 sacks, 10 tackles for loss, 16 QB hits, 4 forced fumbles, 2 passes defended
2020 (16 games): 7.0 sacks, 13 TFLs, 21 QB hits, 3 forced fumbles, 3 passes defended
2021 (17 games): 8.0 sacks, 8 TFLs, 24 QB hits, 4 forced fumbles, 2 passes defended
2022 (17 games): 12.5 sacks, 22 TFLs, 30 QB hits, 4 forced fumbles, 6 passes defended
2023 (17 games): 14.5 sacks, 23 TFLs, 31 QB hits, 3 forced fumbles, 5 passes defended
2024 (12 games): 7.5 sacks, 11 TFLs, 20 QB hits, 2 forced fumbles, 3 passes defended
2025 (15 games): 10.0 sacks, 16 TFLs, 26 QB hits, 3 forced fumbles, 4 passes defended
Moore has been a very good player for Chicago, and trading him would only make sense in a scenario like this one. It remains to be seen whether it’ll happen, but if including Moore would help Chicago in a Crosby trade, the Bears should absolutely do it.