The Chicago Bears have some big decisions to make as the 2026 offseason continues, especially now that center Drew Dalman has shockingly retired. The Bears also have some weaknesses to shore up along the defensive line, and one name that the team has been repeatedly linked to is that of Las Vegas Raiders star pass rusher Maxx Crosby.
Now that Dalman has unexpectedly retired, the Bears also have a gaping hole to fill on the offensive line, and some have speculated that they might try to pursue star center Tyler Linderbaum of the Baltimore Ravens on the free agent market in the coming weeks.
Although there has been chatter that it would be tough for the Bears to bring in both Linderbaum and Crosby from a financial perspective, Adam Hoge of CHGO Bears recently broke down why this is actually not the case.
“This is why I keep saying it’s not an either/or thing with Linderbaum and Crosby. They can make both work. The Bears cap situation isn’t nearly as dire as some are making it out to be. They have a lot of future flexibility to work with,” reported Hoge on X, formerly Twitter.
Meanwhile, Tork Mason of USA Today added further clarification on Crosby's salary situation, noting that “…his contract is extremely front loaded. Once his 2027 salary fully guarantees next weekend, he has no additional guarantees left. So if he’s not performing well enough or the Bears just want that money invested elsewhere, he can be cut/traded after 2027 w/no dead cap,” on X.
Clearly, Chicago has the financial means to bring in both Linderbaum and Crosby this offseason, but whether that actually comes to fruition is a different discussion.
The Bears certainly want to capitalize on the momentum they built last year with their run to the NFC divisional round.
Free agency is set to open up on March 11.
