Maxx Crosby's fiery Raiders feud creates a perfect storm, potentially landing him with the Bears to ignite their struggling pass rush.
It's safe to say that the tension between pass rusher Maxx Crosby and the Las Vegas Raiders has reached an all-time high.
It all started when the Raiders put Crosby on season-ending injured reserve with a knee injury. The team justified the move by saying that it was to protect his long-term health.
However, Crosby disagreed with the decision and reportedly stormed out of the facility in frustration. He then posted a video of himself playing basketball on social media, prompting questions about how injured he really was and whether the Raiders were tanking for a better draft pick.
Las Vegas is currently 2-14 and has the No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft via NFL.com. Crosby stated that he simply wants to win, no matter the circumstances.
The feud has led experts like The Athletic's Dianna Russini to forecast that Crosby will be traded this offseason. Teams such as the Philadelphia Eagles, San Francisco 49ers, and Los Angeles Chargers have been linked in trade rumors.
However, this move would also address the Chicago Bears' pass-rush issues. I had fixing the defensive line as one of my goals for the Bears in 2026, and adding Crosby to the trenches alongside Montez Sweat would be massive.
Although Sweat is having a great season, Chicago still ranks 21st in sacks with 32 so far via Statmuse.com. Sweat has 9.5 sacks, 49 total tackles and 13 TFLs. He is 3.5 sacks away from surpassing his career high of 12.5, set in 2023.
Crosby is also having a career year with the Raiders. He has 10 sacks, 73 total tackles and 28 TFLs, and was just voted to his fifth Pro Bowl.
Now, this trade won't be easy, because to get a player like Crosby, the Bears may have to give up a lot on their side of the bargain. However, adding a star to this pass rush would fix a problem on what has been a solid defense in many areas.
One area where the Bears haven't had any issues is in forcing turnovers. Chicago leads the NFL with 32 takeaways heading into Week 18, and what better way to force turnovers than adding an experienced pass rusher like Crosby to the mix, making things even harder for opposing quarterbacks?
Before Chicago can even think about the offseason, there's some business left to handle in Week 18. The Bears take on the Detroit Lions to close out the regular season at 3:25 p.m. CT on Fox this Sunday.