The Chicago Bears weren’t willing to spend the necessary draft capital to acquire Maxx Crosby in March, but much has changed since the team flirted with the idea of dealing for the five-time Pro Bowler ahead of NFL free agency.
Most recently, an injury to Montez Sweat during training camp has brought to light just how fragile Chicago’s already anemic pass rush in 2025 is with less than six weeks remaining before the regular season opener.
“Bears DE Montez [Sweat] walking into Halas Hall with trainer Andre Tucker,” Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic reported via X on Thursday, August 6. “Sweat seemed to slow up during a rep in 11 on 11 and took himself off the field.”
The nature and severity of Sweat’s injury was not immediately clear, but even if it’s a minor concern, it should serve as a wakeup call to the front office and coaching staff.
By ignoring options in free agency, Chicago was already betting strongly on the development of Austin Booker in Year 3 and a return to health for Dayo Odeyingbo in Year 2 of his $48 million contract to drastically improve a pass rush that was near the bottom of the league in quick pressures and pass rush win rate in 2025.
The team finished the campaign with 35 total sacks, and Sweat was responsible for 10 of those sacks across 17 starts. If he misses any time at all, Chicago’s defense is going to be in a bad way — even if Booker and Odeyingbo both hit in 2026.
Maxx Crosby’s Trade Candidacy Strengthening as Season Nears
GettyDefensive end Maxx Crosby of the Las Vegas Raiders.
Given all that context, Chicago is among the best fits for Crosby.
And coincidentally, ESPN’s Adam Schefter noted Wednesday that trade talk around Crosby has begun to heat up again.
“What if the Raiders are 1-5, 2-6, and we’re coming up to the trade deadline in the first week in November and there’s a team out there that can use a pass-rusher? And Maxx is playing at the level that we think he can?” Schefter said. “I think that’s when the trade potentially could come back into play. And I think that’s when it might be time to start paying attention.”
Bears Boxing Themselves in With Regards to Pass Rush
GettyDefensive end Montez Sweat of the Chicago Bears.
A reasonable question for Chicago, if Sweat’s injury is serious, or if he or anyone else in the defensive end rotation misses any real time, is whether the team can actually afford to wait until early November to make a move for an edge-rusher?
The same question will be relevant if either Booker or Odeyingbo struggle — meaning essentially that if anything at all goes wrong on the defensive front, the Bears may not have enough answers on the roster to address it.
Given the nature of the game, something is more likely than not to go off the rails. However, the Bears have limited themselves by waiting to address the crucial position and protect it against such eventualities.
Jadeveon Clowney is with the Houston Texans, Joey Bosa is strongly considering retirement and the Atlanta Falcons are almost certain to jump into the market for a veteran edge defender after losing Jalon Walker for the year to an ACL injury. Meanwhile, the Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers both profile as candidates to add a pass-rusher.
Crosby’s health and production have each taken slight downturns over the past two seasons, and he will turn 29 later this month. That said, he isn’t likely to cost two first-round picks after the Baltimore Ravens agreed to that exact trade before rescinding it 48 hours later following Crosby’s failed physical.
If Chicago can flip a first-round pick and another draft asset for Crosby, the Bears should jump at that chance, even despite the uncertainty. Crosby put up 28 tackles for loss and 10 sacks last season and is under contract for four more years through 2029.
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