As the countdown to free agency progressed last week, the trade rumors concerning Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby reached a fever pitch with the Ravens, Cowboys, and Bears being identified as Crosby’s top suitors. Obviously, there’s no need to recap everything that’s gone down since then (unless you’ve been living under a rock), but the failed trade to the Ravens has left Crosby’s future in a sort of limbo as Las Vegas attempts to determine if it still has a way to move him without giving up too much of the value it thought it had received last Friday night. 
There were several teams rumored to be involved in trade talks for Crosby, but the Raiders were pretty tight-lipped about any specifics. As we got into February, the league’s conference champions in Seattle and New England were noted as potential teams interested in the veteran edge defender. Entering March, the Bears and Cowboys were added to the list of potentially interested teams, but by Friday, Dallas and Baltimore were the only ones confirmed to be involved, while the Bears were “believed to be in the mix.”
Confirmation was delivered yesterday, when Bears general manager Ryan Poles told reporters (via ESPN’s Courtney Cronin), “We were involved. We checked into it. We looked to see if it made sense, had some dialogue. I’ll leave it at that.”
After their first full year with defensive end Montez Sweat, in which he recorded his second-lowest career sack total (5.5), Chicago made the move to pair him with Dayo Odeyingbo, signing Odeyingbo to a big deal in free agency. While the move benefitted Sweat, who turned in a 10.0-sack 2025 campaign, Odeyingbo followed Sweat’s lead from his first year and gave the Bears his lowest single-season sack total since his rookie year (1.0), playing only eight games before tearing his Achilles tendon.
The timetable for Odeyingbo’s return is still not clear, but even if he is back in time for the regular season, it’s understandable that the Bears might have wanted to kick the tires on Crosby. While it’s hard to tell just how far those conversations went, what seems clear now is that they don’t still seem to be happening. The market has certainly cooled over the past 48 hours or so, and there hasn’t been any reported efforts to recontinue trade negotiations.
Initially, after Crosby became available again, the Cowboys looked unlikely to pursue the recovering pass rusher. Dallas had been the clear second-place finisher in the race, but something seemingly changed between last Friday and Wednesday. This was thought to be due, in part, to the fact that, in their evaluation of Crosby’s knee injury, the Ravens solicited the opinion of the Cowboys’ team physician, Dr. Daniel Cooper. After he advised on the scans, the Ravens backed out of the trade.
Because Cooper would then return to the Cowboys, it seemed likely that Cooper’s opinion would remain unchanged, and the team would opt out of the running for Crosby. Additionally, since missing out on him the first time around, Dallas had traded for Packers edge Rashan Gary and added a few free agents. But the Cowboys’ decision doesn’t lie ultimately with Cooper and doesn’t appear to be impacted by Gary’s arrival in Dallas.
No. Instead, it’s Cowboys owner/team president/general manager Jerry Jones who makes those kinds of calls, and when asked if everything was over and done in regard to Crosby, Jones, ever the entertainer, couldn’t help but to leave them wanting more. Per Jon Machota of The Athletic, he told the media, “We’re pretty far down the road relative to what our plans are (for Crosby), so while I don’t anticipate (pursuing him), I don’t want to rule anything out.”
So, Jones left the door cracked, keeping it open to another pursuit of Crosby. Things are expected to be quiet for a while, though. So soon after the failed trade, the Raiders don’t want to try to trade Crosby right this instant since his price tag has diminished a bit. They’ll instead work to get him closer to health, so that his improved medical outlook post-draft — when teams will have a better idea of what their rosters are going to look like — might bump his price back up a bit. On the other side of the table, the lack of interest in Crosby at this point is likely due to either genuine concern about Dr. Cooper and the Ravens’ conclusions or a hope that the longer they wait, the more desperate the Raiders will be to get Crosby moved even if at a lower cost than they anticipated.
I’d like to see a 3 team trade scenario where Maxx ends up with the Chargers
Why would the Raiders trade him in division?
They wouldn’t yet an nba style trade with the raiders not knowing the 3rd team. Yet such wouldn’t ever fly by the league office.
Could say I’m just not that excited by the lack of acquisitions on the part of the LAC so I’m reaching for something that has positive potential. The team only has 5 draft picks and needs players
Being a clippers and chargers fan might somehow be worse than being a jets and Mets fan
Let me guess your baseball team is the angels?
No baseball, hockey – Vancouver Canucks…college Washington State Cougars…..yep my teams regularly suck.
I’m cursed, but root for the AFC West (except Denver) if they’re playing outside Division.
I get that.
They still have $60MM+ in cap space. Just need some depth at WR, DL, and EDGE. They’ve rehauled their OL and still need to rehaul the secondary. Still a lot of time.
Bring back Keenan Allen and Joey Bosa.
Sign Harrison Smith. Sign/ trade for a CB.
Draft a DT,CB,EDGE and probably a G to compete with Penning.
Agree, think add a OT in the draft and get lucky with a couple undrafted free agents…..they find one or two most every year
I do not want Crosby in NW Indiana. They can’t rush the passer and their entire secondary needed a makeover that they have not completed. Other than Center, those two positions are why Chicago will regress next year.
Come on LV. Keep Maxx.
Obviously the Crosby trade had to be quashed when it was discovered some Packers fan had concerns that the Bears might get involved…lol.
LOL. I mean…. Fair.
As a packers fan, I don’t object him playing for the Indiana Bears
Wouldn’t Crosby help with the “rushing the passer” problem? And by extension, the secondary problem too?
As a Bears fan I’d love to see him in Chicago, but at the right price. Not two first round picks. Maybe a first and a third depending on his knee?
I’d be very upset if that price was what happened. He is legitimately the only pass rush solution left to Chicago this year. And without that, their defense will be no better than it was last year.
Bears fans are loyal fans.
Would you trade a 1st Round Pick and DJ Moore? Thats essentially what trading their 1st and 2nd would be.
I can’t imagine the Raiders being interested in Moore. God player, big contract. The Raiders need to go young.
My comment was in response to you who said he would do a 1st and 3rd round. Since they got a 2nd round pick for Moore, if you did a 1st and 2nd, it’s a essentially a 1st round pick and Moore
The Bears live rent free in your head
No. Last year, Lions fans were saying the same thing. It’s called wanting your division rivals to do poorly so your team has better odds to win. When the Bears were 4-12 for years, I didn’t even bother to think about them, other than to laugh.
Take the compliment.
The Bears should really go and get him. Hell give the Raiders two 1s if they’ll take Odeyingbo’s contract as well.
Yeah when you’re good, your picks aren’t as valuable as teams that are bad. I think I’d be comfortable trading 2 1st round picks I’m the Bears.
Where are the Bears going to get the funds to pay Maxx? They’re so close to the cap they can barely afford take out!
Yes, the Cheeseheads should double down on terrible trades since that Parsons deal was such an abortion for them.