The Bears’ pass rush still looks like a problem that hasn’t gone away, and the options to fix it are getting thinner by the day.
Chicago spent last season among the league’s worst in that area, and this year the team is leaning again on the same group that either couldn’t stay on the field or couldn’t consistently make enough of an impact. Montez Sweat is back out at practice, but the questions around him haven’t changed much: can Austin Booker build on the late-season jump he made in just his second NFL season, and can Dayo Odeyingbo recover from an Achilles tear and justify the big contract he signed a little more than a year ago?
Free agency still offers names, but the board is shrinking fast. Jadeveon Clowney is now with the Houston Texans.
Joey Bosa is uncertain about whether he even wants to keep playing into an 11th pro season. Other veteran edge options like Kyle Van Noy and Leonard Floyd would help, but only in the short term.
That’s why Maxx Crosby keeps coming up as the one name who could actually change the conversation.
The Raiders sent Crosby to the Ravens for two first-round picks nearly five months ago, only for Baltimore to back out quickly because of concerns from his physical, specifically his surgically repaired right knee. After that deal collapsed, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported that Las Vegas might be open to revisiting a Crosby trade later, possibly before the regular season or ahead of the November 10 trade deadline, if the right offer surfaced.
Danny Heifetz of The Ringer Fantasy Football Show brought that idea back into focus on July 30, saying the Bears should be the team to make the move.
“You know who I kinda think might get traded? Maxx Crosby,” Heifetz said.
“They literally traded Maxx Crosby for two firsts, it was undone within 48 hours. Before Myles Garrett, it was the biggest trade of the entire offseason.”
“I feel like he’s gonna get dealt. And I kinda thought the Rams were gonna be the team, and then they got Myles Garrett,” he continued. “I think Chicago should go get Maxx Crosby.”
There are obvious complications. Crosby has shown some signs of mild physical decline over the last two years, both in games played and in overall production. Even so, he’s still just 29 later this month, and his 2025 season was strong: 28 tackles for loss, second in the NFL behind only Garrett, and 10 sacks in 15 appearances.
Chicago passed on Crosby in March because the price was too steep then, with the Raiders asking for two first-round picks. But if the cost dropped to a 2027 first-rounder plus a late Day 2 or early Day 3 pick, that starts to look like the kind of swing a team on the edge of another deep playoff run has to at least consider.
In Other News...
Bears Secondary Trouble Forced A Fast Fix Before Week 1
The Bears had to make another quick adjustment in the back end this week as injuries piled up in their secondary ahead of Week 1. Marlen Sewell arrived as the latest addition, while Jonathan Garvin landed on the reserve/injured list, and the early roster churn comes with Kyler Gordon and Elijah Hicks still on the PUP list and starting safety Coby Bryant sidelined by a knee injury.
Defensive coordinator Dennis Allen is already reshuffling pieces to keep the coverage plan on track. Cam Lewis is moving to safety, and the nickel corner job is suddenly open enough to draw multiple contenders into the mix, a reminder that Chicago is still trying to sort out who fits where before the season starts. [Read more 🡒]
Bears Camp Battles Are Already Forcing Tough Early Roster Calls
Five practices into training camp, the Bears are already seeing how quickly the early battles can tighten a roster picture that still has about four weeks to go before final cuts. The offense has looked solid, but the bigger concern right now sits on the defensive side, where injuries are starting to shape the conversation and push a projected 53-man roster into flux.
That matters most in the secondary, where the Bears came into camp expecting competition but may now be forced into tougher math than planned. With several spots still unsettled and a handful of players tracking toward roster locks, the projection is useful only as a snapshot, not a finish line, and the next few weeks will say plenty about which depth pieces end up surviving the squeeze. [Read more 🡒]
Bears Still Have One Pass Rush Question Worth Watching
The Bears have spent enough time rebuilding their roster that every potential edge addition now comes with a bigger lens on fit, health and timing. One name that naturally pops up is Joey Bosa, whose recent play has kept him in the conversation as a possible answer for a pass rush that could still use more punch. For a team trying to stay ahead of the next roster cycle, the idea of adding a proven veteran for the 2026 season is at least worth keeping on the radar.
Bosas situation is also the kind that makes front offices do their homework, because retirement chatter has already been part of the backdrop around him. Bears management has shown before that it will revisit a familiar storyline if the fit is right, and the Case Keenum return serves as a reminder that a player can circle back after weighing his future. Whether that path makes sense here will depend on how the Bears view their current edge depth, and on how long this possibility stays more than just a name to monitor. [Read more 🡒]