Maxx Crosby
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GLENDALE, ARIZONA - AUGUST 23: Defensive end Maxx Crosby #98 of the Las Vegas Raiders reacts after a tackle against the Arizona Cardinals during first half of the NFL preseason 2025 game at State Farm Stadium on August 23, 2025 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
The Las Vegas Raiders are working to rebuild their relationship with Maxx Crosby after the blockbuster trade that would have shipped him to the Baltimore Ravens fell apart in spectacular fashion.
Crosby has returned to the team and continued his rehab shortly after the Ravens balked on the trade after receiving the results of his physical. As one NFL insider now reports, the team is taking steps to bring him back into the fold and prepare for a future where he is the centerpiece of a rebuild.
Raiders Bringing Back Maxx Crosby
Insider Albert Breer of SI.com reported that the Raiders made efforts to rebuild their trust with Crosby shortly after he left Baltimore and returned to the team.
“Also, some of the fractured trust between Crosby and the Raiders was rebuilt organically last week, when the team showed the five-time Pro Bowler that it had his back, in reaching out and offering any help he needed after the Ravens backed out of the trade,” Breer reported. “Crosby likes new coach Klint Kubiak and GM John Spytek, and loves his old position coach Rob Leonard, who’s now his defensive coordinator. So it’s not as uncomfortable for him.”
Breer added that Crosby’s return is a boon for Kubiak, who is trying to build a new culture in Las Vegas.
“If Crosby buys in, and there’s no reason to think he won’t, he has the potential to be what he’s always wanted to be for the Raiders—a flagbearer and agent of change,” Breer reported.
Maxx Crosby’s Future Still Not Set in Stone
Despite the efforts to regain his trust, the Raiders could still consider the possibility of putting Crosby back on the trade block if the team’s rebuilding plans don’t go according to schedule.
“And if Crosby plays well, and the team doesn’t, and a big offer comes along before the trade deadline in November? Well, that wouldn’t be the worst problem to have,” Breer wrote.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler also suggested that the Raiders could reopen the trade talks at some point, picking an earlier point than Breer.
“Everybody seems like they’re in a good spot, but since they’ve already looked at trading, they’re open to that possibility, potentially, if the right offer would come,” Fowler said, via Bleacher Report. “We’re looking at timelines here; now is gonna be a little slow, but you get closer to the draft, perhaps trade offers will heat up, or even maybe closer to the season. But right now, he’s a Raider, and that’s expected for at least a little while.”
If the Raiders do start to consider trades for Crosby, it could look significantly different than the first round. The Ravens have already moved on, signing another star edge rusher — Trey Hendrickson — almost immediately after pulling out of the trade with Crosby.
The Dallas Cowboys and Chicago Bears have been named as potential suitors for Crosby, and the Buffalo Bills also made an offer the first time around, and these teams have also began shaping their rosters around the idea that Crosby was not available and may not be interested a second time.