Maxx Crosby #98 of the Las Vegas Raiders got serious trade interest from the Dallas Cowboys.
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Maxx Crosby #98 of the Las Vegas Raiders got serious trade interest from the Dallas Cowboys.
The Las Vegas Raiders are moving forward with Maxx Crosby and working on repairing the relationship with their star edge rusher after his failed trade, but one team is taking some increasing heat for their decision to sit out his sweepstakes.
Crosby returned to Las Vegas almost immediately after his trade to the Baltimore Ravens fell apart, and the Raiders have squashed any lingering trade rumors by committing to the edge rusher. The Ravens took plenty of criticism for their abrupt decision, and now the Dallas Cowboys are joining them in taking some heat.
Before the Ravens briefly came to terms on a deal to land Crosby, there had been several teams reportedly in the mix for a trade. The Cowboys were considered contenders, and their failure to pull off a deal is now garnering some criticism.
SI.com’s Michael Fabiano called out Cowboys owner Jerry Jones for passing on both Crosby and fellow star edge rusher Trey Hendrickson.
”As a lifelong Cowboys fan who will question every move Jerry Jones makes (or in this case doesn’t make), I’m left questioning his decision not to add Maxx Crosby or Trey Hendrickson. Who knows, maybe the former might still happen with Rashan Gary taking a pay cut after being traded from the Packers,” Fabiano wrote.
“But Jones had two impact players available who could cause chaos for opposing offensive lines, yet he chose Gary. I know the draft is still ahead, but by whiffing on this duo and trading Osa Odighizuwa to the 49ers, Dallas’s defense might be even worse in 2026.”
SI.com’s Randy Gurzi added that the Cowboys could have completed the trade if they were willing to match Baltimore’s offer — and could have jumped back into Super Bowl contention.
“Had Dallas been willing to make that same offer, it would have truly meant the Cowboys were ‘all-in’ and pursuing a title,” Gurzi wrote.
Cowboys May Have Missed Their Only Shot
While there is lingering speculation about whether the Raiders could try to trade Crosby again — sometime down the road, between the NFL draft and next season’s trade deadline — it appears the team is working hard to repair their relationship with him.
Insider Albert Breer of SI.com reported that the Raiders have made some concerted efforts to make Crosby feel welcome again. The tension between Crosby and the team reportedly started when the Raiders decided to shut him down with two games remaining in the season, even though Crosby believed his knee was healthy enough to play. But the Raiders are working to rectify the situation and keep their returning star player happy.
“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.”