maxx crosby
Getty
Derek Carr with Maxx Crosby.
The trade rumors surrounding Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby are heating up in a way they haven’t before. In the past, there has been trade speculation, but that was when his relationship with the team was in a stronger place.
Crosby didn’t appreciate the Raiders’ decision to place him on Injured Reserve with two games left in the season, and it has made the relationship a bit rockier than it has been in the past. The star defensive end has tried to avoid addressing the topic, which has only led to more speculation that he wants out.
The Raiders are a rebuilding team, and Crosby will be turning 29 before the season. Plus, he’s had serious injury issues the last two seasons. Trading him might be a logical solution, especially if he wants out.
That said, he’s the Raiders’ best player and the face of the franchise. He’s very involved in the Las Vegas community, so uprooting his life isn’t that simple. Plus, the Raiders don’t have a defensive player on the roster who is nearly as impactful.
Former quarterback Derek Carr played with Crosby for several years. He doesn’t think the Raiders should even entertain the idea of moving him.
“No. Period. Next,” Carr said on the “Home Grown” podcast when asked if the Raiders should trade Crosby.
Raiders Don’t Want to Trade Crosby
If the Raiders can get multiple first-round picks for Crosby, it’s easy to see why that would be appealing. They need to get younger, and stocking up on draft picks would help achieve that.
At the same time, Crosby is a very good person to have in the building and will be very hard to replace. If they are going to trade him, it’s going to take a lot, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
“I was told that the Raiders don’t want to trade [Maxx Crosby], and if they even contemplated it, then it would take a Micah Parsons-type package,” Schefter told ESPN’s 97.5 The Fanatic.
“That’s what I was told. Do I think they are getting two firsts and a player? No. Do I think they want to trade him? No. Do I think he’ll be traded like AJ Brown [could be]? That’ll change by the week. … Any deal involving Maxx Crosby, I would think for the Raiders to make that deal, would take a first-round pick at minimum.”
Why Raiders Should Still Be Appealing to Raiders
Crosby has suffered through some really rough years with the Raiders. They’ve made so many wrong draft, free agent and coaching decisions during his tenure.
For the first time, it feels like the Raiders might be headed in the right direction. Klint Kubiak is coming in as head coach fresh off a Super Bowl win with the Seattle Seahawks. He decided to promote Rob Leonard to defensive coordinator, who is very close with Crosby.
However, the biggest reason why the Raiders are more appealing right now is that they’re likely to take Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Nothing turns a franchise around quicker than finding the quarterback. It would be a shame for Crosby to leave Las Vegas right before they’re about to start ascending.