A podcast conversation between a quarterback and the man who picked him off does not typically become one of the most talked-about moments of the NFL offseason. Yet that is exactly what happened when Caleb Williams sat down with Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby on The Rush with Maxx Crosby this week. The hourlong exchange was candid, revealing, and — for Bears fans watching closely — deeply exciting in ways that go far beyond football talk.
The two covered everything from mutual respect to Williams’ sweeping vision for Chicago’s offense in 2026. By the time the episode ended, trade speculation had already ignited across the league.
The Play From Week 4 That Williams Cannot Forget
The conversation found its emotional center early, when both men revisited a specific moment from the Bears’ Week 4 matchup against the Raiders last season. Crosby, aligned on the right side of the defensive line, shifted left, tipped a Williams pass at the line of scrimmage, and then caught his own deflection for an interception. It sounds like a routine play. Watching it in real time is something else entirely.
Williams described the moment as deeply frustrating, speaking openly about the relentless quality Crosby has built across his career and the unique way he influences games in a manner most players are simply incapable of replicating. After that Week 4 game, Williams had called Crosby the best player he had faced to that point in his young NFL career. Crosby, for his part, has been equally generous, describing Williams as a player with all the talent and ability in the world.
That kind of mutual admiration between a quarterback and the pass rusher who just picked him off is genuinely rare.
Williams Is Chasing the Greatest Offense in NFL History
The most striking portion of the episode came when Williams began outlining his goals for the 2026 season. He pointed to the 2013 Denver Broncos as a reference point — the team that set the NFL record for points in a single season with 606, averaging nearly 38 per game behind Peyton Manning’s historic 55-touchdown campaign. Last season, the Bears ranked ninth in scoring at 25.9 points per game.
Williams said he wants to target 50 points per game and build the greatest offense ever to take an NFL field. He described a mindset centered on completion efficiency, protecting drives, and delivering what he called runner balls to keep scoring opportunities alive. He also made clear that his head coach, Ben Johnson, shares that vision entirely.
Williams framed Johnson as a competitor who wants to dismantle every opponent on the schedule — and coming from a second-year quarterback who just led Chicago to the NFC North title and the franchise’s first playoff win in 15 years, that level of player-coach alignment carries real weight.
The Crosby Trade Question Bears Fans Cannot Stop Asking
What will linger longest for Bears fans is what Crosby said to Williams at the close of the episode. He told Williams he had earned respect at a different level, that he was just getting started, and that the most frightening part was Williams might not yet fully grasp how good he could become. Crosby told him they were locked in permanently and to reach out any time.
Those words landed hard — because Crosby is widely considered one of the most prominent trade candidates in the league heading into this offseason. He was reportedly frustrated with the Raiders after being placed on injured reserve in December, and analyst Jay Glazer stated during Super Bowl week that Crosby appears done with Las Vegas. ESPN’s Adam Schefter has reported that the Raiders would prefer to keep him, and that any trade would demand a package comparable to what Green Bay sent Dallas for Micah Parsons — a deal that included two first-round picks and Kenny Clark.
The historical parallel is impossible to ignore. Nearly eight years ago, the Raiders sent Khalil Mack to Chicago in a blockbuster deal anchored by two first-round picks. The Bears, sitting at the start of what looks like a legitimate Super Bowl window with Williams and several offensive contributors still on rookie contracts, are positioned exactly the way a team needs to be to justify that kind of swing. General manager Ryan Poles has the assets and the runway.
The relationship between Williams and Crosby is already built. The football part is the only thing left to figure out.
