The Chicago Bears may have just found a new reason to circle back on Maxx Crosby.
A troubling injury update on Montez Sweat during training camp on Thursday has pushed Chicago’s edge-rush situation back into the spotlight. Sweat appeared to get hurt during an 11-on-11 period, and The Athletic’s Kevin Fishbain reported that he left the field under his own power before walking into Halas Hall with trainer Andre Tucker.
“Bears DE Montez [Sweat] walking into Halas Hall with trainer Andre Tucker,” Fishbain wrote on X. “Sweat seemed to slow up during a rep in 11 on 11 and took himself off the field.”
The Bears haven’t said yet what the injury is, but the concern is obvious. Chicago closed the 2025 season with 35 sacks, and Sweat was responsible for 10 of them in 17 starts. That makes any issue involving him feel a lot bigger than a typical camp setback.
It also lands at an awkward time for a team that already passed on a major edge-rush splash in free agency. Instead, the Bears leaned on Austin Booker’s growth and Dayo Odeyingbo’s bounce-back potential after giving him a four-year, $48 million deal.
Now the questions are back, and they come with a familiar name attached.
Chicago already explored a deal for Crosby before free agency earlier this year, but the Raiders’ price was too steep. With Sweat’s status suddenly in question, the Bears could look like an even cleaner fit if they decide they need another impact pass rusher.
That possibility has only grown after ESPN’s Adam Schefter suggested Crosby could return to the trade conversation if Las Vegas stumbles early.
“What if the Raiders are 1-5, 2-6, and we’re coming up to the trade deadline in the first week in November and there’s a team out there that can use a pass-rusher? And Maxx is playing at the level that we think he can?”
Schefter said. “I think that’s when the trade potentially could come back into play.
And I think that’s when it might be time to start paying attention.”
Crosby has made his feelings clear, saying he is “all in” and wants to be a “Raider for life”. But that could be tested as the deadline approaches.
For Chicago, the urgency is straightforward. If Sweat is out for any stretch, or if the backups don’t answer the bell, the Bears would be looking at a thin spot at a premium position.
They may not be alone in that search, either. The Falcons just lost Jalon Walker to a season-ending ACL injury, while the Vikings and Packers could also be in the market for edge help.
Crosby turns 29 later this month and is coming off a huge season with 28 tackles for loss and 10 sacks. He’s also under contract through 2029. If the Bears want to strengthen their defense for a serious playoff push, this is the kind of call that suddenly makes a lot more sense.
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