There's a chance that the Cincinnati Bengals will lose star pass-rusher Trey Hendrickson in free agency this offseason, but Las Vegas Raiders pass-rusher Maxx Crosby would be a worthy replacement via trade. That's why former Bengals receiver Chad Johnson tried to recruit him on social media on Wednesday. 

"Maxx do you like Skyline Chili?" he asked. Skyline Chili is a restaurant chain in Cincinnati.

Johnson posted that in response to Crosby saying "Stop Making Excuses...Go Be Great." Crosby fits the description of "great," as he's a two-time All-Pro and has 10-plus sacks in each of the last four seasons. The Bengals could use a player like that, as they finished 30th in football with 28.9 points allowed per game and tied for 22nd with 2.1 sacks per game this past season.

Crosby is under contract through 2029, but FOX NFL's Jay Glazer believes his time in Las Vegas is done and that he will have a new home by the 2026 NFL Draft, per Yahoo Sports. Glazer mentioned Crosby not wanting to go through another rebuild.

The Raiders are poised to pick Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza No. 1 overall this April, but they have a long way to go before becoming contenders. They're coming off a 3-14 season and have little premium talent outside of Crosby, tight end Brock Bowers, and running back Ashton Jeanty.

Meanwhile, Cincinnati has not been the model of excellence recently, either. The team went 6-11 this past season and hasn't made the playoffs since 2022. However, superstar quarterback Joe Burrow and wideout Ja'Marr Chase being signed through 2029 gives it a window to try to contend, and fellow wideout Tee Higgins being signed through 2028 helps too.

Adding a defensive star like Crosby to a roster with those players will give the Bengals the best chance they've had to return to the Super Bowl since they made the AFC Championship in 2022. That trio of Burrow, Chase, and Higgins was the driving force behind that run, as well as the team's run to the Super Bowl in 2021.

Of course, Crosby won't be cheap. If Cincinnati wants his services, it will likely take multiple draft picks and/or players to get it done. But the 28-year-old is a bona fide star in his prime at a position of need, so he could be worth the cost.

Meanwhile, Hendrickson is 31 and coming off an injury-shortened season. Replacing him with Crosby would be an upgrade both in the short and long-term, but the Bengals would still need to add defensive depth either way.