Much like a good chunk of the NFL, the Chicago Bears are cash-strapped to begin the 2026 offseason. Spotrac has the Bears projected as being more than $10.6 million over next season's salary cap, which makes it difficult for general manager Ryan Poles to plan for the offseason, as he has familiar faces to re-sign and free-agent reinforcements to add.
Upgrading the pass rush will be one of Poles' top priorities, and it goes without saying that star Las Vegas Raiders disruptor Maxx Crosby would provide a massive boost in that area. Having said that, the Bears' cap situation makes a trade easier said than done. At least, that was the case until Friday.
NFL insider Tom Pelissero was among the first to report that the NFL is "projecting a 2026 salary cap in the range of $301.2 million to $305.7 million per club." Given how last year's cap was at $279.2 million, it's easy to see why Poles & Co. should be thrilled by this news — especially when it comes to their Crosby pursuit.
Potential Maxx Crosby Trade Has New Life for Bears After Salary Cap Update
With the Raiders spending the 2025 season at the bottom of the AFC West, Crosby's name was frequently in rumors leading up to the trade deadline. The Bears were no exception to the buzz, as the five-time Pro Bowler's knack for frustrating opposing quarterbacks made him the perfect savior of Chicago's pass-rush woes.
Instead, the Raiders held on to Crosby past the deadline, putting any potential suitors' interest on hold. However, now that Las Vegas has parted ways with head coach Pete Carroll, and things got spicy when the team reportedly wanted to shut Crosby down with two regular-season games remaining, trade talks could be back on the menu.
Although injuries have forced him to miss seven games over the last two seasons, Crosby still made noise in 2025. He earned his fifth consecutive Pro Bowl nod, racking up 45 solo tackles, 10.0 sacks, six defended passes, two forced fumbles, and an interception.
For comparison, Montez Sweat (10.0), Gervon Dexter Sr. (6.0), Austin Booker (4.5), and C.J. Gardner-Johnson (3.0) were the only Bears with multiple sacks last season, illustrating just how big a boost Crosby could provide.
What's impressive is that it was a down year for Crosby. According to Pro Football Focus, he "only" amassed 53 pressures, which is noticeably below his average of the last five seasons (78).
Having said that, the elite pass rusher's contract is still somewhat of a hurdle, despite the NFL's latest cap projections. Crosby is on track to carry a $35.8 million cap hit, according to Spotrac, on top of the four years and over $116 million in cash he has remaining on his deal. In other words, some contract restructuring must happen for him to end up in the Windy City.
The Bears can further improve their odds of landing Crosby by tinkering with their own financial situation. Moving on from overpaid players like wideout D.J. Moore and linebacker T.J. Edwards could help, as trading the duo after June 1 would free up $33 million in cap space. That's just one route, though, and Poles can open more by getting creative.
The NFL offseason is when Super Bowl contenders are created, and the Bears have a chance to do that thanks to the NFL's exciting salary cap news. If GM Poles plays his cards right and can present an enticing offer to a Las Vegas team looking to hit the reset button, Crosby moving to the Windy City could vault the Bears into the Lombardi Trophy conversation for years to come.