The 2026 NFL offseason has been chaotic enough without the internet making things up. Between failed physicals and surprise roster overhauls, fans are already on edge, which is why a fake “BREAKING” post on Tuesday night gained so much traction.
A verified parody account claimed the Eagles and Raiders were finalizing a trade to swap receiver AJ Brown for defensive end Maxx Crosby. This post had every element to go viral, and it did within a few hours.
Wesley Steinberg, who has written “NFL and NY Giants Insider. AS-MR Sports Representative. Loving Husband and Father” in his bio, made the most of Crosby’s chaotic offseason trade opera.
Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby
Dec 14, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby (98) in the tunnel against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
He wrote, “BREAKING: #Eagles and #Raiders are close on a trade that would see WR AJ Brown and DE Maxx Crosby swap teams alongside draft pick compensation.”
BREAKING: #Eagles and #Raiders are close on a trade that would see WR AJ Brown and DE Maxx Crosby swap teams alongside draft pick compensation.
— Wesley Steinberg (@WesSteinberg) March 17, 2026
The Raiders first agreed to trade Crosby to the Baltimore Ravens for two first-round picks, but the deal collapsed after he failed his medical test.
Just to recap, Crosby injured his knee against the Kansas City Chiefs on Oct. 19 and played through it before the Raiders put him on injured reserve for the final two games of the season.
He had surgery in January to repair a torn meniscus. While he looked absolutely fine at first, the Ravens’ medical staff and doctors were concerned about the long-term health of his knee.
Baltimore, however, didn’t wait around, signing free agent Trey Hendrickson the next morning to a four-year, $112 million deal. And for now, the 28-year-old Crosby remains in Las Vegas. He had 34.5 sacks over the last three seasons before the injury slowed him down in 2025.
On the other side of the proposed trade, Brown made his frustration with the Philadelphia Eagles’ offense clear during the 2025 season. In one video that surfaced in November, he called the situation a “s— show.”
He still produced, finishing with 78 receptions for 1,003 yards and seven touchdowns in 15 games. But following the tension with the franchise, General Manager Howie Roseman said the team is open to listening to offers, and head coach Nick Sirianni said he can’t guarantee Brown will be on the roster in 2026.
Maxx Crosby trade rumor involving A.J. Brown left fans speechless
Those factors helped fuel trade speculation, and the reaction online was immediate.
One fanwrote, “As an Eagles fan, f—ing please be real.”
Another oneadded, “Makes a ton of sense for both teams assuming the draft capital isn’t wildly different.”
A third oneclaimed, “That is the trade I’ve been tweeting on for months now.”
The fourth fannoted, “Please get AJ Brown out of there so we can see Hurts suffer.”
A random X userclaimed, “Same dude that said Jalen Carter got benched for watching porn btw.”
For now, Brown isn’t going anywhere. According to Dianna Russini, any trade is on hold until at least June, mainly because of the Eagles’ salary cap situation.
Crosby is also back with his team. He recently returned to the Raiders’ facility to continue his rehab. GM John Spytek and new coach Klint Kubiak are now focused on keeping their star, and Crosby has publicly committed to staying in Las Vegas. The idea of these two switching teams remains just a rumor.