The Chicago Bears have been connected to Maxx Crosby trade rumblings over the last few weeks of the 2026 NFL offseason, but intel from one of the most plugged-in insiders in Chicago suggests it may be nothing more than a pipe dream.
Trade rumors about Crosby have been swirling since late December when the Raiders informed him of their plans to shut him down for the final two games of their lost 2025 season. According to Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer, Crosby “vehemently disagreed” with the decision and “left the building” afterward, casting doubt on his future with Vegas.
Meanwhile, the Bears enter the 2026 offseason once again seeking more pass-rushing help after tying for the worst pass rush win rate (29%) in the league in 2025, per ESPN. That could make Chicago an ideal trade partner if Vegas ends up trading off Crosby.
Unfortunately for the Bears, they would need to clear significant amounts of cap space just to fit Crosby’s cap number — about $30 million after trade — on their 2026 books.
Even then, The Chicago Tribune’s Brad Biggs does not believe Bears general manager Ryan Poles would give up multiple first-round picks to land Crosby from the Raiders.
“The Bears would need to have legitimate internal conversations about any player of Crosby’s ability who is available — if any are available,” Biggs wrote on February 4. “But my intuition is that general manager Ryan Poles would have a hard time bundling two first-round draft picks or something close to that to acquire Crosby.
“If the price is lower, then it would be an intriguing option.”
Insider Shoots Down DJ Moore as Crosby Trade Bait
Biggs also threw cold water on one of the most commonly suggested ways in which the Bears could go about trying to acquire Crosby from the Raiders: offering up a veteran.
Specifically, fans and analysts have frequently suggested that the Bears could offer up veteran wide receiver DJ Moore as part of the compensation in their bid for Crosby. Moore has a $28.5 million cap hit in 2026 and could potentially appeal to the Raiders, who have eyes on Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza as their No. 1 overall pick.
The Bears could also create significant cap savings by trading either veteran defensive end Montez Sweat ($16.9 million) or middle linebacker T.J. Edwards ($6.16 million), but Biggs does not believe the Raiders would have any interest in the Bears’ veterans.
“Please don’t think current Bears players who might not be great salary-cap fits could be valuable trade pieces in a bid to acquire Crosby,” Biggs wrote. “I firmly believe if the Raiders shop Crosby, they’ll be looking for a big-time return in draft capital.”
Would DJ Moore Trade Make Maxx Crosby Deal Realistic?
The Bears might not be able to use Moore as a trade sweetener if they pursue Crosby in the coming weeks, but that does not mean the 28-year-old cannot help their pursuit.
Aside from all of the Crosby talk, there is plenty of noise about Moore’s future with the Bears heading into the 2026 offseason. He made several game-deciding catches for the Bears as their go-to clutch receiver in 2025, but he also had career lows in receptions (50) and receiving yards (682) and will see his cap hit balloon to $28.5 million in 2026.
That’s enough to at least warrant a conversation in the Bears’ front office about Moore’s value moving forward, especially since the team’s young core of Rome Odunze, Luther Burden III and Colston Loveland is in place on rookie contracts for the next two years.
The Bears aren’t likely to receive a huge return for Moore if they trade him in 2026, but any deal would be more about erasing Moore’s climbing cap cost from their ledger than the compensation received. They would cut down his $28.5 million cap hit to just $12 million in dead cap in 2026 if they traded him. His future cap hits would go with him.
Now, the Bears might trade Moore and put the money toward something else instead, such as potentially signing veteran pass rusher Trey Hendrickson or re-upping on new deals with one of their starting safeties. If they trade him, though, they will at least have a more realistic shot at making a blockbuster move for Crosby — financially speaking.
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