NFL: Maxx Crosby, the Raiders, and Trade Possibilities

• As the NFL Draft approaches and the offseason gets underway, will a Maxx Crosby-Raiders trade happen?
• As the Raiders start over again with a new head coach, it might not make sense to retain Crosby
• Las Vegas sitting the high-strung edge rusher in the final game of the season, citing an injury, did not help the team-player relationship
• Where might Crosby wind up if he’s traded?

The Underlying Realities of a Crosby Trade

The Raiders are embarking on another new start with recently anointed head coach Klint Kubiak. Since Crosby was drafted in 2019, Kubiak is the franchise’s sixth head coach. The team epitomized mediocrity in his first five years as a Raider. In the past two, they’ve compiled a 7-27 record.

As they prepare for the 2026 NFL Draft, they are almost certainly selecting Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza first overall. In the AFC West where their competition includes two 2025 playoff teams, the Broncos and the Chargers, as well as the Chiefs coming off an injury-plagued and disappointing season, their chances of competing for a playoff spot let alone a Super Bowl in the next three years are nearly non-existent no matter how smart they are and how effective Kubiak is.

After the way in which Crosby’s season ended with him sitting out the final two games of the season with what the team claimed was a knee injury and Crosby angrily leaving the facility and following his departure with an Instagram video showing that he was healthy enough to play, a parting seemed inevitable.

Now, it’s not as certain.

If they do opt to keep him, there are lingering hard feelings that need to be smoothed over.

His 2026 salary cap hit is nearly $36 million, so a team pursuing him needs to navigate the finances while having the capital to make it worth the Raiders’ while to deal their star.

There is an argument to retain him. They have Brock Bowers, who will soon be the best tight end in the game. Ashton Jeanty will be a Pro Bowl back. Mendoza, while not a prototypical slam dunk #1 overall, is a solid player and man.

They could easily be respectable in 2026 with Crosby helping them in their rise.

Which Teams Might Pursue Him?

There are two primary considerations when a team is considering pursuing Maxx Crosby: Whether they can absorb his salary and if they have what the Raiders will want in a trade.

The following teams have the cap room, the draft picks, and the willingness even if a Maxx Crosby-Raiders trade doesn’t make the most sense for them or Las Vegas.

Teams with the current cap space who can be eliminated out of hand include the Titans, Chargers, Jets, and Broncos. Neither the Titans nor Jets are a Crosby away from contending. As for the Chargers and Broncos, the Raiders aren’t trading him to a division rival.

Other teams could use him, but would need to clear the space. That includes the Vikings, Lions, Bears, and Cowboys.

So which are the likeliest landing spots if the Raiders trade Crosby?

Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles could certainly use an edge of Crosby’s caliber. They were middle-of-the-pack in total sacks in 2025 and they were near bottom third in rush defense. Acquiring Crosby would be for the playoffs and a Super Bowl run more than anything else since Philly is the clear NFC East favorite. He is also a strong locker room personality who could try to point the team in the right direction after a season full of crippling on and off field dysfunction.

Dallas Cowboys

It makes no sense to trade for Crosby and surrender the remaining draft capital they accrued by trading Micah Parsons to the Packers to finish somewhere between 7-10 and 10-7, maybe making the playoffs only to lose in the Wild Card (again).

While it’s an obvious mistake to do it, Jerry Jones is getting increasingly desperate to win another Super Bowl as he approaches his mid-80s, ignorant of the fact that they should be following what another mid-80s owner, Bob Kraft, has done and not what Jones has done since forcing out Jimmy Johnson more than three decades ago.

Jones’ ego will never allow him to deviate from his failed strategies.

The Cowboys trading for Crosby makes little sense, but nothing much the Cowboys have done in the past 20 years has made sense.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Ordinarily, this would be a bad idea and not a fit given how the Steelers do business.

But it’s no longer how the Steelers do business. It’s how the Steelers did business.

It’s not relevant given what they’ve done over the past month.

They hired Mike McCarthy in a clear attempt to coax Aaron Rodgers to stay another year, indicating they are not doing what they should do for the greater good.

They’re bringing in mercenaries in a panicky attempt to maintain a semblance of relevance when they need to take a step back, take a few knocks, move on from the likes of T.J. Watt, find a long-term solution at QB with a young coach and a new dynamic.

Since they’ve made clear what they’re going to try and do, why not bring in Crosby?

New England Patriots

To build on their run to the Super Bowl, there’s an argument for the Patriots to be aggressive to boost their pass rush with an edge like Crosby. It’s probably a bad idea as it’s a “final piece” move when they have to add several pieces including boosting the offensive line. The Pats should continue incrementally building and not think they’re that one star defender away from another Super Bowl title.

Will the Raiders Trade Crosby?

Kubiak could repair the relationship between player and team and convince Crosby to stay. While they’re not going to contend in 2026, they can certainly use Crosby if they’re striving for respectability. And he’s a great chip to trade at the trade deadline when there will be teams that are not currently in the Crosby sweepstakes surprisingly in contention, thereby potentially increasing the potential return.

Unless Crosby outright asks to be traded or the Raiders are knocked over by an offer before the draft, he’s probably starting the season in Las Vegas.

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