Bears 2026 Offseason Needs, Part 3: Montez Sweat Needs a Batman, and the Cap Says It Won't Be Maxx Crosby

In Part 1 of this series, we looked at a secondary with zero safeties under contract. In Part 2, we dug into an interior defensive line that allowed 5.0 yards per carry—the fourth-worst mark in the NFL. Both of those needs are significant. But neither position has a $46.7 million elephant sitting in the middle of the room before the Bears even make a single move.

Edge rusher does.

The 2025 Bears finished tied for 22nd in the NFL with 35 sacks. They ranked 22nd in pressure rate at 21.1 percent and were next-to-last in ESPN's pass rush win rate. In a division where Detroit's offensive line dominates the trenches and Green Bay's passing attack can carve you apart if you can't get home, a one-dimensional edge rush isn't going to cut it. The Bears won 11 games last season largely because they generated turnovers at an elite rate—33 takeaways, the best in the league. But turnovers, historically, don't repeat. If the pass rush doesn't improve, the defense that papered over its problems with forced fumbles and interceptions is going to get exposed.

Ryan Poles knows this. He admitted at the trade deadline last fall that the Bears called "on all of the guys you would imagine"—a list that included both Maxx Crosby and Trey Hendrickson. Neither deal materialized. Five months later, both names are back in the conversation. The difference now is that the Bears' cap situation has gone from tight to suffocating, and the price tags haven't come down.

This is the most complicated position on the Bears' offseason board. Not because there aren't options—there are plenty. But because the options that would transform this defense overnight are almost certainly out of financial reach, and the options that fit the budget require patience and projection. It's not a fun needle to thread when your championship window is open right now.

About This Series

With free agency opening March 11 and the NFL Draft set for late April in Pittsburgh, the next two months will define whether the Bears can turn a breakthrough season into sustained contention. The offense is largely set—every starter is under contract, and the offensive line that Ben Johnson built is one of the best in football. The defense is another story.

Over the coming days, we'll be breaking down each of the Bears' biggest offseason needs in a multi-part series. For each position, we'll examine why it needs to be addressed, who the realistic options are in both free agency and the draft, and how Poles might navigate the cap crunch while keeping this team's championship window wide open. Here's what's ahead:

Part 1: Safety — Zero safeties under contract. The most urgent hole on the roster.
Part 2: Defensive Tackle — Poles is targeting speed and violence up front. The Combine confirmed it.
Part 3: Edge Rusher (today) — Montez Sweat needs a running mate. The cap says it won't be Crosby.
Part 4: Left Tackle — Ozzy Trapilo's torn patellar tendon leaves a gaping hole protecting Caleb's blindside.
Part 5: Linebacker & Secondary Depth — The Edmunds fallout and what comes next.

What's Already in the Room

The Bears do have an edge group. They're paying it like one of the best in football. It isn't.

Start with Montez Sweat, who is the foundation of everything Chicago does off the edge. Sweat played all 17 games in 2025 and posted 10.0 sacks, 53 tackles (36 solo), 13 tackles for loss, and 18 quarterback hits—all career highs. He added three forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. His 53 pressures were among the best on the team, and he hit a scorching stretch from Weeks 7 through 12 when he racked up 6.5 sacks, including a two-sack, strip-sack demolition of the Steelers. In the playoffs, he sacked Matthew Stafford in the Divisional Round loss to the Rams while playing a season-high 82.1 percent of defensive snaps.

Sweat is a legitimate top-20 edge rusher. But he's not a top-five one. His PFF grade of 70.9 ranked 42nd among 115 qualifying edge defenders—solid, not elite. Bears Wire described him as "more of a Robin than he is Batman," a characterization that stings but isn't wrong. Sweat maxes out around 10 to 12 sacks per season. That's valuable. It's also not the kind of production that changes games by itself. As Ben Johnson said at the end of the season: "He's a guy that we count on. I know the sack numbers is what everybody looks at, but for me it's not just the sacks, it's also the pressures and the quarterback hits." Translation: Sweat does a lot of the little things right, but the Bears need someone who can wreck a game plan.

Sweat's contract—a four-year, $98 million extension signed in 2023—carries a 2026 cap hit of $25.1 million, roughly 8.1 percent of the total salary cap. He's under contract through 2027. There's no moving him, nor should there be. But that number is the first piece of a cap puzzle that gets ugly in a hurry.

The second piece is Dayo Odeyingbo. And this is where it hurts.

The Bears signed Odeyingbo to a three-year, $48 million deal with $32 million guaranteed last March, envisioning him as the pass-rushing complement to Sweat. Instead, Odeyingbo managed just one sack in eight games. One. He registered 21 tackles (9 solo), two tackles for loss, four quarterback hits, and a mere nine pressures—85th among all edge rushers in the league. Then his season ended when he tore his Achilles in Week 9 against the Bengals.

DaWindyCity's midseason assessment was blunt: Odeyingbo posted a 14.9 percent win rate but was a non-factor in the Bears' defense. He failed to become an adequate tag-team partner opposite Sweat—which was the entire reason the Bears signed him.

Here's the part that makes you wince: Odeyingbo's 2026 cap hit is $20.5 million. His $15.5 million base salary becomes fully guaranteed on the third day of the new league year. Even a post-June 1 cut saves only about $3 million. A restructure could free up roughly $7.4 million, but you're still paying a 26-year-old coming off an Achilles tear significant money for production he never delivered when healthy. Heavy.com floated an injury settlement as the only realistic exit, but acknowledged that settlements are typically reserved for fringe roster players—not guys on $48 million contracts. The Bears are stuck with him through 2026. Period.

That leaves Austin Booker, the 23-year-old fifth-round pick from Kansas who might be the most interesting player in this entire conversation. Booker started the 2025 season on injured reserve with a knee injury, didn't get activated until Week 9, and then proceeded to tear off 4.5 sacks and 12 quarterback hits in just 10 regular-season games. He added another sack in the playoffs, giving him 5.5 sacks and 14 QB hits across 12 total games. Once activated, Booker routinely played the most snaps of any defensive lineman on the roster. He flashed a violent first step and an ability to finish—his two-sack game against the Browns and his 13-tackle, 1.5-sack playoff performance against the Packers were among the most encouraging developments of the entire season.

But Booker's PFR stat line also reveals an unfinished player: 35 combined tackles (19 solo, 16 assists), just five tackles for loss, and a PFF grade of 61.8 that ranked 75th among edge defenders. His run defense grade of 57.9 was particularly concerning. He was fined four separate times for unnecessary roughness. And the injuries are a pattern—a knee kept him out of most of his rookie year, too. Bleacher Nation's Patrick Flowers put it plainly: "Banking on Booker to be healthy and productive for 17 games in a starting role in 2026 is a gamble—no matter how you slice it up." The ceiling is tantalizing. The floor is a guy who has never played a full season.

Beyond those three, the cupboard is bare. Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, acquired via a midseason trade when Odeyingbo went down, is an unrestricted free agent and was never more than a short-term patch. Dominique Robinson, a former fifth-round pick, is also a UFA—a depth candidate to re-sign, nothing more. Daniel Hardy is a restricted free agent valued primarily for special teams.

Add it up: Sweat at $25.1 million. Odeyingbo at $20.5 million. Booker at roughly $1.1 million on his rookie deal. That's $46.7 million committed to the edge position before the Bears even think about adding someone. And the return on that investment? Thirty-five sacks. Twenty-second in the league.

That's the problem in one line.

The Crosby Question

You already know the name. Everyone knows the name.

Maxx Crosby wants out of Las Vegas. Or at least, that's the strong implication of a week's worth of reporting that has set the NFL trade market on fire. Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated wrote Sunday that he'd "lean toward a Maxx Crosby trade happening, and maybe this week," while noting that seven teams are keeping tabs—Dallas, Chicago, Baltimore, Buffalo, New England, Philadelphia, and the Rams. Tom Pelissero of NFL Network named the Bears as a logical fit on the Rich Eisen Show, citing the Khalil Mack trade precedent. Adam Schefter told Pat McAfee that the Raiders will need "an offer that they can't say no to." Dianna Russini of The Athletic reported that it's "going to come down to what Maxx wants."

The Bears' connection to Crosby is organic. Poles already tried to acquire him at last year's trade deadline. Caleb Williams appeared on Crosby's podcast during the offseason. The organization, from the GM on down, has made no secret of the fact that they want to add a premium pass rusher. And the Mack precedent matters—the Bears are the team that swung the last blockbuster edge rusher trade with the Raiders, back in 2018. History has a way of repeating itself in the NFL.

But history is also the reason this probably won't happen.

The Mack trade cost the Bears two first-round picks, a third-round pick, and a sixth-round pick. It mortgaged the future of the franchise for a player who, while brilliant, couldn't single-handedly overcome the roster deficiencies that those traded picks might have addressed. Ryan Poles was hired in 2022 specifically to clean up the wreckage of the Ryan Pace era—an era defined by aggressive trades that sacrificed long-term building for short-term splashes. Poles has been careful, methodical, and philosophically opposed to giving up significant draft capital for a single player. As Heavy.com noted, Poles "has previously balked at the idea of his team giving up significant draft compensation to land a single player."

And the Raiders aren't offering a discount. Per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, Las Vegas is asking for two first-round picks and a player—a package comparable to what the Cowboys received for Micah Parsons. Various analysts have floated specific Bears proposals: DJ Moore plus pick 25 plus a future pick, or Moore plus Tremaine Edmunds plus pick 25. The Bears have unique trade assets—Moore's contract, Edmunds as a salary dump, and a first-round pick that's late enough to be palatable—but even the most creative package requires giving up a proven No. 2 receiver, significant draft capital, or both.

Then there's the cap. Crosby signed a three-year, $106.5 million extension with the Raiders last March—$91.5 million guaranteed. His 2026 cap hit is approximately $35.8 million. If the Bears acquired him, they'd be looking at edge rusher cap commitments of roughly $81.4 million: Crosby at $35.8 million, Sweat at $25.1 million, and Odeyingbo at $20.5 million. That's more than a quarter of the entire salary cap devoted to three players at one position—one of whom had one sack last year and is rehabbing a torn Achilles.

Even if the Bears traded Moore (saving $16.8 million) and released Edmunds ($15 million in cap relief), the financial gymnastics required to absorb Crosby's contract while also addressing safety, defensive tackle, and left tackle make the math nearly impossible. This is a team that's already $4.1 million over the cap before free agency opens.

There's also the medical reality. Crosby played 15 games in 2025 and was still productive—10 sacks, 73 tackles, 28 tackles for loss, 20 quarterback hits—but the Raiders shut him down for the final two games against his wishes, and he underwent knee surgery in January. He'll turn 29 in August. For a player making $35.8 million a year, you need more than "still productive." You need dominant. And you need durability.

The dream of pairing Crosby and Sweat is intoxicating. Two double-digit sack artists on the same line, collapsing pockets from both sides, making Caleb Williams' job easier every Sunday. But the Bears have already over-invested at this position with the Odeyingbo contract, and doubling down with another massive commitment would cripple their ability to address the rest of the roster. Poles learned from Pace. This is where that lesson gets applied.

The Bears are interested. They should be. But the price—in draft capital, in cap space, in opportunity cost—will be too high.

The Free Agent Market

If Crosby is the fantasy, Trey Hendrickson is the most compelling alternative—and he may be about to hit the open market.

Tuesday's franchise tag deadline hits at 3:00 p.m. Central, and all signs point to the Bengals letting Hendrickson walk. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported Tuesday morning that it "would be a little surprise if it's the tag," and ESPN's Jeremy Fowler wrote over the weekend that "most around the league would be surprised if the Bengals tag Hendrickson." The Bengals used Combine week to gauge the tag-and-trade market and apparently didn't like what they saw. Cincinnati's director of player personnel, Duke Tobin, summed up the difficulty: "All trades are difficult. You gotta find a partner."

Hendrickson is a four-time Pro Bowler who led the NFL in sacks in 2024 with 17.5—identical to his 2023 total. Back-to-back 17.5-sack seasons from an edge rusher is rare air. But there are real concerns. Hendrickson played just seven games in 2025 before an injury ended his season. He's 31 and will turn 32 in December. The years-long contract standoff with Cincinnati—which included sitting out most of 2025 training camp—suggests a player who will demand top-of-market money.

The upside for the Bears is that no draft capital would be required—unlike the Crosby scenario, Hendrickson would just cost money. The downside is that "just money" still means a deal in the neighborhood of $25 to $30 million per year, which would push the Bears' edge cap commitments north of $70 million. CBS Sports and multiple other outlets have identified the Indianapolis Colts as the most likely landing spot, citing Hendrickson's connection to former Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo, now the Colts' DC. The 49ers, who posted the NFL's fewest sacks last season, are another strong suitor.

A more intriguing name might be Odafe Oweh of the Chargers. Fowler also reported that Oweh "has not received any indication that he will be tagged," meaning the 27-year-old edge rusher could hit unrestricted free agency on March 11 alongside Hendrickson. Oweh is younger than Hendrickson, cheaper, and has more physical upside—even if his production hasn't matched Hendrickson's peak. For a Bears team that needs to balance impact with affordability, Oweh could be the sweet spot.

Beyond the headliners, there's a tier of veteran options that could provide complementary production at a fraction of the cost. Khalil Mack, now 35, would bring an emotional Chicago homecoming narrative but declining production. Azeez Ojulari, D.J. Wonnum, Kingsley Enagbare, Arnold Ebiketie, and Joseph Ossai represent the budget tier—players who can provide rotational depth but aren't solving the fundamental problem.

Bears Wire made an astute observation: even if the Bears lose out on—or avoid—all of the established options, they would still benefit from other teams signing those pass rushers, as it would increase Chicago's chances of a high-end prospect falling into their laps in the draft.

Which brings us to the path that makes the most financial sense.

The Draft Path

At the Combine, Poles said the edge depth in this year's draft class is better than the defensive tackle depth. That could be genuine intel—or it could be misdirection designed to hide his real intentions at pick 25. Either way, if the Bears go defensive tackle in the first round (as many mock drafts project), they'll need to find their edge rusher on Day 2 or in free agency. And if they go edge at 25, one name stands above the rest.

T.J. Parker of Clemson met with the Bears at the Combine and has been rising steadily since dominating Senior Bowl practices in Mobile. He measured in at 6-foot-4, 263 pounds and ran a 4.68-second 40-yard dash with a 34-inch vertical and a 10-foot broad jump—a top-five athleticism score among all edge rushers at the Combine. Daniel Jeremiah ranked him 32nd overall on his post-Combine Top 50 and offered a telling player comparison: Trey Hendrickson.

"You'll see very similar get-off times and how they play," Jeremiah said. "They've both got great size, 260-plus pounds. And I think T.J. Parker's got more room to grow as a player, and there's some upside there."

Parker's Clemson résumé is substantial: 144 career tackles, 41.5 tackles for loss, 21.5 sacks, six forced fumbles, and six fumble recoveries across 39 games. He posted 11 sacks as a junior in 2024 before his production dipped to five sacks as a senior—though he finished with a monster three-sack game against South Carolina in the rivalry finale. The Senior Bowl and Combine appear to have restored his first-round stock after a somewhat uneven final college season. Clemson's pro day on March 12—where Parker will work out alongside defensive tackle Peter Woods—is the next evaluation checkpoint.

If Parker is there at 25, the Bears would be getting a player who fits exactly what Poles described wanting: motor, relentlessness, violence, explosiveness. And they'd be getting him on a four-year rookie contract worth roughly $4 to $5 million annually—a fraction of the cost of Crosby or Hendrickson.

The edge class extends well beyond Parker. Arvell Reese of Ohio State posted the highest NFL.com grade among edge rushers at 7.04 and blazed a 4.46-second 40-yard dash, but he's likely a top-15 pick who won't reach the Bears at 25. David Bailey of Texas Tech ran a 4.50 with a Von Miller-esque testing profile, making a strong case for Combine MVP among the edge group. R Mason Thomas of Oklahoma—Jeremiah's 39th-ranked prospect—is a Day 1-2 option with intriguing tools.

Two Day 2 names to watch closely: Zion Young of Missouri met with the Bears and graded at 6.40 on NFL.com's scale, with Jeremiah ranking him 47th. And Gabe Jacas of Illinois—who also met with the Bears informally—was a first-team All-Big Ten selection in 2025 with 13.5 tackles for loss, 11 sacks, and three forced fumbles. Jacas told reporters at the Combine: "I think a lot of people miscue me for who I am as a pass rusher. Ability to bend, get to the quarterback, that's something I can do day in and day out." He's a local product with a chip and production. The Bears should be interested.

The Bottom Line

Here's the math that defines everything.

The Bears are spending $46.7 million on edge rushers in 2026—$25.1 million on Sweat, $20.5 million on Odeyingbo, and $1.1 million on Booker. That produced 35 sacks, good for a tie for 22nd in the NFL. Adding Crosby would push that number past $82 million. Adding Hendrickson would push it past $72 million. Drafting an edge at 25—say, T.J. Parker—would bring it to roughly $51 million and give the Bears financial room to address safety, defensive tackle, and left tackle.

The Odeyingbo contract is the albatross that constrains every decision at this position. If the Bears weren't carrying $20.5 million in dead weight for a player who had one sack and then tore his Achilles, the Crosby math might actually work. The Hendrickson math would definitely work. Instead, Poles is threading a needle of his own making—or at least, of last year's free agency making.

The most likely scenario: the Bears target an edge rusher with their first- or second-round pick—Parker if he's there at 25, or one of Young, Jacas, or Thomas on Day 2 if they go defensive tackle in Round 1. They supplement with a mid-tier free agent—someone in the Oweh range if they can swing it, or a budget veteran like Ojulari or Wonnum. They hope Booker stays healthy and builds on his promising 10-game sample. And they pray that Odeyingbo can contribute something—anything—when he returns from his Achilles rehab.

It's not the sexiest plan. It doesn't involve Maxx Crosby strapping on a Bears helmet and terrorizing the NFC North. It doesn't generate the kind of headlines that make you feel like the championship is coming tomorrow.

But it's the plan that keeps the roster whole, the cap manageable, and the window open for more than one season. Poles has spent three years building this team the right way—through the draft, through smart contracts, through patience. The edge rush is the biggest test of that philosophy yet.

Montez Sweat is a Robin. The Bears need to find him a Batman. They just can't afford to pay Batman's full salary.

Next up in our 2026 Offseason Needs series: Left tackle. Ozzy Trapilo's torn patellar tendon in the divisional round left a gaping hole on Caleb Williams' blindside, and the Bears have no clear replacement on the roster. We'll break down the options—from free agency to the draft—to protect the franchise quarterback.