The Chicago Bears may have just received an unexpected second chance in the pursuit of star pass rusher Maxx Crosby.
In an extremely surprising development Tuesday, NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport reported that the Baltimore Ravens have backed out of a potential trade agreement with the Las Vegas Raiders involving Crosby.
âTrades are not official until the league year begins,â Rapoport wrote on X.
The Raiders released a brief statement confirming the situation:
âThe Baltimore Ravens have backed out of our trade agreement for Maxx Crosby. We will have no further comment at this time.â
The news quickly sent shockwaves across the NFL. Crosby had widely been expected to land in Baltimore once the new league year officially begins Wednesday at 4 p.m. ET. Trades agreed to during the legal tampering window cannot become official until the start of the new league year.
The sudden twist could reopen the door for other teams around the league that had previously been linked to Crosby, including the Bears.
Report: Maxx Crosby Failed Physical Before Trade Collapse
Shortly after the Raiders confirmed the trade had collapsed, The Athletic insider Dianna Russini reported a key detail that may explain why Baltimore backed out of the deal.
âMaxx Crosby did not pass his physical today, per sources,â Russini wrote on X. âThe Ravens get their first-round picks back.â
If accurate, the failed physical would explain the sudden reversal after what had appeared to be a completed blockbuster trade.
Crosby is coming off a significant knee injury, and teams acquiring a player in a trade must still clear the medical evaluation before the deal can be finalized.
For now, Crosby remains with the Raiders. But other teams like the Cowboys and Bears will come calling quickly.
Bears Could Re-Enter Maxx Crosby Conversation
With the Ravens no longer acquiring Crosby, attention quickly turns to which teams could potentially re-enter the picture for the star edge rusher.
Before the Ravens deal, the Bears had the best odds to land Crosby.
If Crosby is able to recover and clear medical evaluations moving forward, the collapse of the Ravens trade could suddenly give the Bears another opportunity to pursue one of the NFLâs most dominant pass rushers.
The Bears have already made several moves early in free agency, including adding defensive back Coby Bryant and linebacker Devin Bush. Those additions helped address immediate needs on defense as Chicago began reshaping its roster.
However, the Bearsâ approach to the early stages of free agency may have been influenced by the belief that they were no longer in the running for Maxx Crosby.
Like the rest of the NFL world, many believed Crosby to the Ravens was a done deal.
Now, that situation has dramatically changed.
If Crosby is ultimately made available again, Ryan Poles and the Bearsâ front office may now have to reevaluate its offseason strategy.
They must now determine whether pursuing a blockbuster move for the All-Pro edge rusher becomes a realistic option. If healthy, Crosby represents the kind of potential franchise-altering move the Bears must seriously consider.
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