The NFL trade deadline is less than three weeks away, but this week has already seen a flurry of significant acquisitions as several of the league’s best wide receivers were dealt, including the Amari Cooper and Davante Adams. With the Raiders and Browns seemingly entering a sell mode, it has led to Bears’ fans and media to speculate about Chicago’s possibility in acquiring Pro Bowl defensive end, Maxx Crosby, from Las Vegas. Although the Bears’ defense is performing at a high-level right now, a potential trade for Crosby may make too much sense for general manager Ryan Poles to pass up.

Maxx Crosby makes too much sense for the Chicago Bears not to trade for

Maxx Crosby has been one of the league’s most dominant pass-rushers since beginning his NFL career back in 2019 with the Raiders. Over his first six seasons, Crosby has recorded three seasons of ten or more sacks and has been named to the Pro Bowl the last three straight years. Although Las Vegas has had consistent issues on offense, one of the reasons why they have been able to compete the last four years is because of quality defense led by their elite pass-rusher.

On Tuesday, the Raiders appeared to begin a sell off of their star talent given their current record, struggles on offense, and state of the franchise with Hall of Fame quarterback Tom Brandy finalizing the purchase of a piece of the team as a minority owner. Las Vegas trade Adams due to his unhappiness with the team and it appears likely they could trade more players as the trade deadline draws near. Although the Bears currently have a record of 4-2 and won’t play again until October 27th, there are areas where Poles can upgrade the roster at, including offensive line and defensive line.

Although the Bears appear set at the defensive end position with Montez Sweat, Darnell Taylor, DeMarcus Walker, and Austin Booker, acquiring Maxx Crosby would give Chicago not just the best defensive line in the league, but hands down make them the best defensive unit in the NFL. A defensive line featuring two perennial Pro Bowl pass-rushers in Crosby and Sweat on each end of the line with Gervon Dexter in the middle would be a nightmare situation for opposing offensive lines. It would be a situation where one of the three linemen is capitalizing on a one-on-one blocking matchup.

If Maxx Crosby is available, there will likely be a concern about the potential cost to acquire him paired with the salary cap ramifications of taking on his contract. Despite the concerns, Chicago would have the resources to complete a trade, and are in a position where they could handle one more significant contract. Crosby’s is set to become a free agent after the 2027 season, which would be around the same time several other significant defensive contracts are coming off the books for the Bears and would be the same time quarterback Caleb Williams and wide receiver Rome Odunze would need contract-extensions.

Acquiring Crosby would also maximize Poles’ desire to win a Super Bowl while having Williams on a rookie contract. It is well known that Chicago will use their first-round and multiple second-round selections in the 2025 NFL Draft on an offensive lineman or defensive end. By trading for Maxx Crosby, it would give the Bears multiple experienced veterans a vital pass-rush position instead of having to wait for one to develop over a few seasons if the franchise chose to draft one next offseason.

Additionally, as it relates to being in a win now window, 2024 could be Chicago’s best opportunity to win a Super Bowl over the next few years, given the current NFC landscape. Right now, there isn’t a dominant NFC team favored to win the conference as the San Francisco 49ers, Philadelphia Eagles, Detroit Lions, and Green Bay Packers haven’t been as elite as they have been in years past. An acquisition of Maxx Crosby would give the Bears a legitimate chance of being able to beat any of these teams to make it to Super Bowl 59 in New Orleans.

trading for Maxx Crosby will benefit Caleb Williams long-term

Poles and the Bears could be forced into trading for Maxx Crosby from a long-term standpoint, given what has transpired within the NFC North Division and the Detroit Lions. In the Lions’ win over the Dallas Cowboys this past Sunday, the team lost their best defensive player in defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, who fractured his leg and is done for the season. With the Lions still in a Super Bowl window, they may be emboldened to trade for Crosby to fill the void left by Hutchinson for the remainder of 2024 while also pairing the two long-term and having the best pass-rush duo in the NFL.

If Detroit were to acquire Maxx Crosby and pair him with Hutchinson starting next season, it would be the most significant obstacle for the Bears’ long-term success from both a divisional and playoff standpoint. Imagine a scenario where Williams and the offense is stopped by Detroit’s pass-rush in a critical divisional game, or even worse, a playoff game because of the lethal pairing of two of the league’s best pass-rushers. A acquisition like that would come back to haunt Poles if the Bears never win a Super Bowl because of a rival making the trade.

Adding Crosby via trade would also boost Chicago’s offensive success and take more pressure off of Williams and the offense for multiple reasons. Having a more ferocious and unrelenting pass-rush would lead to better field position for the offense via more takeaways from interceptions generated by hurried throws or from sack-strip fumbles. Better field position and opposing offenses scoring fewer points would take the demand off of Williams and the offense to score more points, reducing the exposure of sacks allowed by Chicago’s offensive line.

Although the Bears aren’t in a dire need to add a defensive end right now, if Maxx Crosby is available via trade, it is something that Poles needs to be all in on. Chicago’s general manager has spent the last three seasons overhauling the roster and now as the team ready to compete for the playoffs for the next few seasons, if not a Super Bowl, if another star player is added. Adding an elite-level talent like Crosby would move the Bears into being a Super Bowl contender for the next few years to come which is too hard for the team to pass up because everything lines up in their favor to make a potential trade.

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