Las Vegas Raiders star Maxx Crosby during an NFL game.
The Las Vegas Raiders welcomed Maxx Crosby back to the team after the failed trade to the Baltimore Ravens, but it appears their path forward is growing more narrow as the season approaches.
An insider reported that the team’s chances of trying a second trade for Crosby have taken a turn for the worse after the Ravens backed out of the trade earlier this month. SI.com’s Albert Breer reported that the team is now planning to move forward with him as the centerpiece for new head coach Klint Kubiak’s rebuild.
No Maxx Crosby Trade This Offseason
Breer reported that he believes Crosby will start the 2026 season with the Raiders, with growing doubt that the team could try to move him again before the season opener. Breer added that Crosby is “fiercely protective of his Raider legacy” and didn’t want to be traded in the first place, but lost some trust in the team after they chose to shut him down with a knee injury at the end of the season, depsite his belief that he could play.
The good news for Crosby and the Raiders is that both sides have a fresh start with a new regime, Breer added.
“The guys running the day-to-day football operation, GM John Spytek and new coach Klint Kubiak, had nothing to do with breaking the trust, but they were integral to rebuilding it,” Breer wrote. “As the agreement with the Ravens was falling through, Spytek and Kubiak reached out to Crosby and showed that they had his back, even as all hell was breaking loose for the team. My sense is that it was very much appreciated.”
But Baltimore’s decision to back out of the trade after receiving the results of his physical may have handcuffed the team, making him a risky commodity to trade.
“Imagine being a GM who’s interested in Crosby,” Breer wrote. “Your owner saw that Baltimore failed him on the physical, so can you take the risk of trading for him, knowing that if the knee’s a problem this year or next, then that’s on you? The optics of the situation changed completely, materially diminishing what Vegas could get for him.”
One Good Path for Maxx Crosby, Raiders
While the failed trade may have sunk Crosby’s trade value for the time being, Breer suggested that it does leave the Raiders with one clear path forward — hoping to contend with Kubiak as head coach and Crosby a centerpiece of the defense.
The Raiders are on track to land quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft, and could continue to build around Crosby as their start player.
“Getting an all-in Crosby should be a big asset as the new staff tries to set a high standard,” Breer wrote. “And interestingly enough, this might have been the only way to get that, since Crosby already had a foot out the door when Kubiak was hired.”
There could still be one chance to trade Crosby at the trade deadline, Breer added, though the team would likely struggle to reach the same value as the planned trade with the Ravens.