Maxx Crosby of the Las Vegas Raiders.
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The Lions have wanted to bring on Maxx Crosby of the Las Vegas Raiders for years, or at least their followers have wanted that.
The Detroit Lions and their followers have been salivating over the idea of bringing on edge rusher Maxx Crosby of the Las Vegas Raiders to couple with fellow edge Aidan Hutchinson.
For years, if seemed like a pipedream to bring Crosby to his home state of Michigan, but coming up on the 2026-27 season, it’s actually a possibility. For the first time in Crosby’s time with the Raiders, a trade appears likely if not eminent.
So, the Detroit Lions could really be one of the teams to pursue Crosby and win him over. Of course, that doesn’t mean they’ll get him, and we all know that Brad Holmes doesn’t seem to want to invest a lot of funds into the edge position. But, a team can dream. Now, an insider’s report on Crosby is bringing up factors that may impact a potential trade.
Maxx Crosby Lions Status: New Report May Make Detroit Think Twice About Edge
On Wednesday, March 4, Michael Silver of The Athletic published a story about Crosby claiming that the player is “ready to leave Las Vegas.” That’s good news for Detroit, but what’s not good is what Silver said about Crosby.
“With Las Vegas staring at a significant rebuild, and set to draft quarterback Fernando Mendoza with that first overall pick, it would be foolish not to look to the future,” he notes. “Crosby, who’ll turn 29 next summer, deserves to play for a contender. The Raiders, who have few valuable assets, can flip Crosby for draft capital that could theoretically pay future dividends.”
He also says that “a deal is attainable by the official start of free agency next week.”
That’s all good, but the bad news is that according to Silver, Crosby is difficult to work with on the field. Sure, Crosby has attitude, and that’s why the Lions like him, but it’s more than that.
“As Crosby blossomed into one of the league’s best players, [Jon] Gruden’s full-time successors in Las Vegas — Josh McDaniels, Antonio Pierce and Pete Carroll — found themselves powerless to contain him,” Silver wrote.
Maxx Crosby Trade Rumors: What’s He’s Done to Raise Eyebrows With the Las Vegas Raiders
“Crosby, several witnesses say, would frequently violate one of football’s most sacred practice rules by making contact with red-jersey-clad quarterbacks — and get away with it,” Silver wrote. “Said one witness: ‘His attitude was, ‘If you don’t want me to do it, then block me.’ And nobody was in position to challenge that.”
So, knowing that Crosby could be difficult to work with may make the Detroit Lions think twice before bringing him on board. But, it’s other factors, such as money, that would probably be more the deciding factor.
During the 2026 NFL Combine, Las Vegas Raiders general manager John Spytek was asked about the status of Crosby with the franchise. When asked if he seems Crosby with the Raiders in 2026, he said, according to ESPN, “I do.”
He added, “Maxx is an elite player, and I’ve been very upfront from the start when I got here that we’re in the business of having really good players on the team, and we need a lot more of them.”
Of course, Spytek said he’s also willing to listen to offers to trade any player, noting, “I learned a long time ago, always listen. I’m always listening.”