As the dust settles from the stunning cancellation of the the Las Vegas Raiders trade of star pass-rusher Maxx Crosby to the Baltimore Ravens for two first-round picks, there have been some reports that he may stay with the Raiders.
NFL Media said Crosby, who was back in the Raiders’ facility Wednesday to resume his rehab from a knee surgery, is “focused” on remaining with the Raiders. Sports Illustrated, saying that the Raiders will still get trade calls about Crosby, is the general feeling is Crosby will remain with the Raiders at the moment.
While things can change, let’s assume that’s the case and Crosby will be back with the Silver and Black for his eighth NFL season in 2026. Let’s look at what it means:
Heavy at pass-rushers:
The Raiders are expected to honor the plan signings of pass-rusher Kwity Paye (a three-year, $48 million deal) and returner Malcolm Koonce (one year at $11 million) in addition to keeping Crosby’s $30 million in salary-cap room. That’s a lot of veteran money at one position. Honestly, it’s questionable if the Raiders would have agreed to terms with Paye had the Raiders weren’t under the assumption Crosby would be in Baltimore. If Crosby is here long-term, Paye, who struggled for the Colts in 2025, could be a cut candidate in 2027 or ‘28 if he doesn’t have a solid season.
Probably won’t draft edge rushers very early:
Because of the glut at the position and the removal of the No. 14 pick, the Raiders will likely concentrate at other positions early in the draft after they likely will take Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 overall pick.
Tight salary cap?
With Crosby being on the books in addition to all the veterans the Raiders are planning to sign, the cap may get a little tight for a team that would still like to make some moves. It’s doable, but we will likely see smaller deals coming for a team still with some holes to fill.
This team is better for 2026:
Having Crosby for the short term is probably going to help more than having the No. 14 pick in the draft. But the plan of the trade was for the long term.
Rebuild may take more time:
The long-term may take a hit here because of the loss of the massive draft capital. That was the primary reason why the Raiders agreed to the trade. Now, that advantage is gone.
Maxx might be impressed:
There was a report before the Ravens’ trade that the Raiders were hoping to do some things in free agency to give Crosby some confidence about the immediate future of the team. They beefed up the offensive line for center Tyler Linderbaum and added linebackers Nakobe Dean and Quay Walker, among others. It may fire up Crosby. If he does, indeed, stay, I’d expect him to express these feelings.
Is a trade possible now?
Probably, yes. Teams will continue to call and look into the situation. I could see some teams getting permission to give Crosby a physical themselves. Perhaps the trade for a possible first-round pick in 2026 and a conditional 2027 top pick. Will it happen? We shall see, but this is still likely fluid even though the current thought may be that Crosby is staying.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - OCTOBER 24: Defensive end Maxx Crosby #98 of the Las Vegas Raiders moves in to sack quarterback Jalen Hurts #1 of the Philadelphia Eagles after a botched snap on a play that was wiped out on a delay-of-game penalty against the Eagles during their game at Allegiant Stadium on October 24, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Raiders defeated the Eagles 33-22. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - OCTOBER 24: Defensive end Maxx Crosby #98 of the Las Vegas Raiders moves in to sack quarterback Jalen Hurts #1 of the Philadelphia Eagles after a botched snap on a play that was wiped out on a delay-of-game penalty against the Eagles during their game at Allegiant Stadium on October 24, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Raiders defeated the Eagles 33-22. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
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Could be revisited during the season:
Crosby has been the subject of trade rumors at the deadline in past seasons. if the Raiders aren’t contenders at the deadline this year, and he shows good health, don’t be surprised if those rumors heat up again.
Long-term health:
Reportedly, the Ravens were more concerns with the long-term health of Crosby’s knees. So, basically, they are worried that he may not hold up two or three years from now. Perhaps that is a valid deal and perhaps it will be something for the Raiders to navigate in the future. But Crosby, who turns 29 in August, should be counted on to have good health for the near future, at least. Crosby is famous for playing every snap of games. Perhaps the Raiders may be best suited for managing those numbers somewhat so to help keep him healthy.
Maybe this was meant to be:
When he said goodbye to the Raiders after the trade was agreed upon, Crosby said he was a Raider for life and was looking forward to retiring as a Raider. Life is crazy and Crosby is still a Raider.
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