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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - NOVEMBER 17: Maxx Crosby #98 of the Las Vegas Raiders looks on against the Dallas Cowboys during the second quarter at Allegiant Stadium on November 17, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
The Chicago Bears have a lot of momentum entering the offseason. Even though their season ended in a tough overtime loss to the Rams in the divisional round of the NFC playoffs, it was a phenomenal first year for HC Ben Johnson. The Bears won the NFC North, one of the toughest divisions in the league, and won a playoff game for the first time in years. That’s an undeniable success.
Now, Chicago has to parlay that initial success into sustained greatness over time. That’s much more difficult to do, and it will require some savvy moves over the next few months to set the Bears up well for a strong 2026 season.
ESPN’s Bill Barnwell has a trade proposal that would net the Bears a veritable defensive star and propel them to greater heights:
Chicago Bears Trade Proposal Swaps WR D.J. Moore for a Star Pass Rusher
D.J. Moore
GettyCHICAGO, ILLINOIS – JANUARY 10: DJ Moore #2 of the Chicago Bears celebrates a touchdown against the Green Bay Packers during the fourth quarter in the NFC Wild Card Playoff game at Soldier Field on January 10, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
It’s no secret that Maxx Crosby wants out of Las Vegas. The Raiders star edge rusher isn’t keen on waiting through another rebuild, and he could be available for the right price. Meanwhile, the Bears could be looking to get out of WR D.J. Moore‘s expensive contract extension coming off a year when he was de-prioritized in Johnson’s offense, and could pair him along with a first-round pick to acquire Crosby.
“The Raiders probably aren’t trading Crosby unless they can get a first-round pick or some cumulative value in that ballpark,” Barnwell wrote on Monday. “I don’t see teams in the top half of the draft sending their first-rounder for Crosby. The Bears have the 25th pick, and GM Ryan Poles hasn’t been shy about using draft picks to add talent. Some of those moves have worked out better (Joe Thuney) than others (Chase Claypool).”
“Montez Sweat lands somewhere in the middle as a solid, Pro Bowl-ceiling player who is getting paid to be a superstar edge rusher. He had 10 sacks last season, but the Bears were still only 29th in sack rate while blitzing at a rate just above league average.”
The Chicago Bears Could Really Benefit from Getting Out of WR D.J. Moore’s Contract
“Poles probably has to clear out some cash and cap to get a deal done,” Barnwell continued on the Bears’ cap situation. “Enter Moore, whose four-year extension starts next season. The Bears have already paid Moore a $20 million signing bonus as part of that deal, $23.5 million of Moore’s 2026 deal is already guaranteed, and $15.5 million of his 2027 compensation locks in if he is on the roster in mid-March. Any team acquiring Moore would essentially be signing to pay him $49 million over the next two years.”
“Poles and the Bears…would be getting out of what might be an awful contract extension and realigning some of their cash toward the weakest part (albeit also one of the most expensive parts) of their roster. Crosby pushes everyone into the right role, notably Sweat, who would see far fewer double-teams. Giving up a first-round pick would be painful, and the Bears need to address safety with Jaquan Brisker hitting free agency. But if they think they’re close to making a deeper playoff run, adding Crosby would be one way to leverage Caleb Williams‘ rookie-scale salary.”