What a wild June 1 it was. The Chicago Bears saw the team who knocked them out of the playoffs, just this past season, land the best defensive player in football.
The Los Angeles Rams dealt for Cleveland Browns pass rusher Myles Garrett in a blockbuster trade that sent shockwaves throughout the entire NFL. But now, the Bears' next move could not be clearer.
A team that still desperately needs help in the pass rush department, and would've made a lot of sense for Garrett, now needs to go back and revisit the next-best option. It is time for Ryan Poles to pick up the phone and start talking Maxx Crosby again.
The Chicago Bears' response to Myles Garrett's blockbuster trade can only be to acquire Maxx Crosby
The Las Vegas Raiders, of course, tried to trade Crosby earlier this offseason when they sent him to the Baltimore Ravens. Days later, however, the trade was nixed because of a failed physical. Today, Crosby remains in Las Vegas -- for now.
Vegas went out and rebuilt the defense they figured was going to be without Crosby, as general manager John Spytek went wild with free agent acquisitions. He then continued adding defensive talent in the 2026 NFL Draft, but the Raiders and Crosby remain a union.
I don't think it would surprise anybody if the Raiders still tried dealing Crosby, though. They have a quarterback in his first year of a rookie deal, without any real wide receiver threats, and Crosby is going to be 29 years old by the time this season starts.
For context, Garrett is 30 years old.
The Bears simply cannot rely on Montez Sweat, Dayo Odeyingbo, Austin Booker and Shemar Turner to be their top four pass rushers. Sweat, we know, is good for a big play here and there but then vanishes for a while each week.
Odeyingbo did absolutely nothing in half a season before going down with an injury that derailed the rest of his campaign. Booker looks like the best bet to become Sweat's running mate, based on sheer upside and talent alone.
And then you have Turner, who we are unsure about when it comes to playing off the edge (not to mention he missed 12 games in 2025).
Crosby is the one and only move to make, now. The Bears watched the team that literally sent them packing a few months ago go out and throw caution to the wind by acquiring Garrett. Why can't Poles do the same thing with Crosby?
We know the Raiders have been willing to let him go, and we know the Bears are arguably a legitimate pass rusher away from being a Super Bowl contender.
Read more: Former Packers QB starts the Caleb Williams ‘MVP’ discussion
Potentially having to go up against the Rams again in the playoffs is a scary proposition right now. To make that less scary, Poles should make a Crosby deal happen as soon as possible.
Add us as a preferred source on Google