Raiders star Maxx Crosby's injury and contract drama cast doubt on a trade. Bears must wait, weighing a hefty price for the Pro Bowler.
The Chicago Bears may have to wait a little while before a Maxx Crosby trade is even possible.
The fallout with the Las Vegas Raiders and Crosby was palpable.
Crosby was placed on season-ending injured reserve with a meniscus injury by the Raiders. However, Crosby was not a fan of the move and reportedly stormed out of the team's facility. He later posted a video of himself on social media playing basketball, raising doubts about the injury.
There are questions about whether the decision was made because the Raiders have the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
On top of that, there is the question of how much the Bears would have to give up to land a player like Crosby. NFL Analyst Jay Glazer reported that it could take more than what the Green Bay Packers gave up for Micah Parsons.
The Packers had to trade two first-round picks and defensive lineman Kenny Clark to the Dallas Cowboys last offseason.
Now, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport shared some insight into how long it could be before a Crosby trade could happen.
He believes it will be impossible for Crosby to be traded before the beginning of free agency on March 11, because of the recovery time for a meniscus injury, noting that it would have to be just before the 2026 NFL Draft or after.
The Bears aren't the only ones interested in trading for Crosby; the San Francisco 49ers, Cowboys, and Detroit Lions are Chicago's competition.
Whenever the trade is possible, adding Crosby to the Bears would fix the franchise's sack problems over the years.
Even though Montez Sweat finished with 10 sacks, the team struggled overall. The Bears ranked 22nd in the NFL with 35 sacks in 2025. The next closest person in terms of sacks to Sweat was defensive lineman Gervon Dexter, who had six.
Although he didn't play a full season, Crosby still finished with 10 sacks, 73 total tackles and 28 TFLs. He also made the Pro Bowl for the fifth time in his career.
This year's NFL Draft will be in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from April 23-25.
Unfortunately, a Crosby trade wouldn't happen until at least April. We'll have to see what General Manager Ryan Poles is comfortable giving up as well.
Having Crosby and Sweat on the same defensive line would be a dream scenario for Chicago.