Trade rumors around Raiders DE Maxx Crosby aren’t anything new. Over the course of his seven years in Las Vegas, the idea of a trade has popped up more than once. Through it all, Crosby has remained fiercely loyal to the Raiders. 

Something feels different this time, though. Crosby has talked openly in the past about wanting to be part of bringing the Raiders back from irrelevancy to true contending status. Despite years of losing which would crush the spirits of most other players, Crosby remained relentlessly competitive and has maintained his status as the hardest worker on the team while also becoming its highest-paid player years ago. Coaches and front office staff dream about that combination, which is why the Raiders have remained committed to him through multiple regime changes. 

Now it seems like Crosby may have reached his breaking point, with one catalyst being the Raiders’ decision to shut him down for the season against his wishes to help lock up the No. 1 pick last season. NFL reporter Jay Glazer, who’s as plugged in as anyone when it comes to the big, big scoops, reported from his interactions directly with Crosby that the veteran pass rusher was furious with that call. Since then, he’s gone on to say he’s not expecting Crosby to remain with Las Vegas this upcoming season, which looks set to be a rebuilding year with a brand-new head coach and the No. 1 pick. 

While it would certainly sting for the Raiders to lose Crosby now after he’d stuck with them through so much, it doesn’t seem like they’re closed off to the idea of a trade. There’s a case to be made that the best decision to get the Raiders back to contending as soon as possible is to trade Crosby, especially if they really do get multiple first-round picks in return as Glazer has alluded to. 

The roster is riddled with holes, especially on defense, and by the time the Raiders repair things, Crosby may be past his peak. Even with Crosby, the Raiders have finished inside the top ten in either scoring defense or total defense just once in his seven seasons. The flip side of the argument is that one-year turnarounds are achievable in the NFL (just look at the Patriots in the Super Bowl) and a rebuilding timeline for the Raiders doesn’t necessarily have to take years if things break right. 

Either way, there will be a lot for Raiders GM John Spytek to consider, especially if Crosby wants to force the issue with a trade request. 

Trade Logistics

Assuming both sides conclude a trade is the way to go, there are a few hoops they’ll have to work through. Fortunately Crosby’s contract is not one of those even though he signed an extension just last May. The deal was for three years and $106.5 million, tacked on top of the two years he already had remaining on his deal. Those salaries were boosted significantly as well and guaranteed for a total of $62.5 million, with another $29 million in guarantees in 2027 due this March. 

Teams are often reluctant to hand out extensions for players with more than one year on their contract, so it speaks volumes about Crosby that Spytek was ready to sign off on this kind of deal before he even played a snap. But the Raiders got some flexibility with this contract, too. The extension did not include a signing bonus and did not add any more dead money to Crosby’s tab. If he is traded, he leaves with just a $5 million dead cap hit. It’s similar to how the Jets structured their contract for CB Sauce Gardner to allow them to trade him just months later. It’s perhaps telling that Spytek left himself this option last May. 

A new team can acquire Crosby for four years, $118 million and $59 million guaranteed. Considering how the pass rusher market has climbed above $45 million a year, that’s super reasonable for a player of Crosby’s caliber — and it frankly wouldn’t be surprising to see Crosby use a trade to update his contract sooner rather than later. 

The biggest roadblock to a trade is going to be Crosby’s knee injury, the one he wanted to keep playing through to finish this past year. It’s an issue he’s battled for a few years and finally got surgically corrected with a meniscus repair. There are two common procedures NFL players undergo on their meniscus: either a trim or a repair. The trim is a quicker fix and allows a return to action in four to six weeks. A repair is better long-term but necessitates a three to four-month rehab. 

What that means is that Crosby couldn’t pass an entry physical after a trade until sometime in May or June. There are times when teams are willing to overlook that if they feel confident that projecting full health is just a matter of time. But trades are already complex and risky, and this adds another layer of risk to what will be a massive transaction for any team that takes it on. For this reason, Glazer and others have suggested the timing for a potential Crosby trade is more likely to be closer to the draft at the end of April than the start of free agency and the league year on March 11. 

The effect that will have is likely to whittle down the number of suitors for Crosby. Some teams will wait it out, carving out money and picks to make a run at Crosby when the timing is right. Others will gauge their chances and pivot to options that feel more realistic. Technically speaking, the Raiders will have fewer potential trade partners to consider, but in the grand scheme of things, this should not hurt their market for Crosby all that much. 

For a potential return in a trade, the Packers’ blockbuster deal for OLB Micah Parsons serves as a recent comparison point for that type of edge rusher. Green Bay sent two first-round picks and DT Kenny Clark to the Cowboys for Parsons, then signed him to a massive, $46.5 million per year contract. 

Parsons was two years younger and notably more productive than Crosby, with 65 sacks over the past five years compared to 52.5 for Crosby. Even factoring in the difference in contracts, one would expect the price for Crosby to be less if it were a direct comparison. However, there was chatter around the league that Dallas could have gotten more if it had handled things differently, like trading Parsons in the offseason instead of on the eve of the season. 

Another potential trade comparison is Khalil Mack, who was traded from the Raiders along with a second-round pick to the Bears for two first-round picks and a third. He was entering his age-27 season at the time. Crosby will be turning 29 in August. Mack had a Defensive Player of the Year award under his belt, something neither Parsons nor Crosby has accomplished yet. They are that caliber of talent, however. 

Both of those comparisons bode well for the Raiders getting two first-round picks back in any trade, plus perhaps a little something extra, even if it’s not a clean multi-first return. 

Potential landing spots

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler mentioned this weekend the Raiders could have 20 teams calling about Crosby. That’s no shock given elite pass rushers don’t shake loose every offseason. In the end, though, the true number of trade contenders will be much lower. Not everyone will have both the assets and the motivation to do a deal at the heavy price it will cost. There will be squads that covet Crosby but don’t have the means to outbid the market. Others will see him as less of a fit for where they are in their team-building process, and Crosby himself will have some influence in how all this shakes out. 

As we sit today, here are the 10 teams I think would make the most sense as a potential trade landing spot for Crosby once the dust all clears. 

Buffalo Bills

I don’t think it gets any clearer as an example of how urgent the entire Bills franchise is to capitalize on QB Josh Allen’s Super Bowl window than the decision to fire HC Sean McDermott. He alone paid the price for the failure to reach the Super Bowl, but if the Bills continue to struggle to get over the hump, there will be more casualties. The first on the chopping block might be GM Brandon Beane, who survived despite arguably bearing an equal share as McDermott of any blame for falling short these past several years. 

There are signs Beane is feeling that pressure, too, with media appearances that have trended increasingly defensive and combative. He knows this could be his last stand, so I expect him to go down swinging. Crosby might be the white whale he sets his eyes on. 

Beane has tried for years to build a dominant defensive line in Buffalo and hasn’t quite gotten there. He’s used a Day 1 or Day 2 pick on seven defensive linemen over the last seven years, none of whom have developed into Pro Bowl players. A couple, DT Ed Oliver and DE Gregory Rousseau, have turned into decent starters, but not enough to tilt games in Buffalo’s favor when it comes to the playoffs. Beane hasn’t been able to bridge the gap with trade or free agent acquisitions, either, and not for a lack of trying. Prominent targets like Von Miller, Joey Bosa and Leonard Floyd have produced average results. 

Crosby would be Beane’s last-ditch attempt to change all of that, and by far the most proven and established pass rusher the Bills have added in Beane’s tenure. Buffalo has its first-round picks over the next two seasons to form the core of an offer and doesn’t lack for depth to include a player to sweeten the pot. The salary situation would be the biggest hurdle. 

The Bills have been tight to the cap since signing Allen to a monster contract and have work to do to get back in the black before this offseason gets underway. Trading for Crosby would mean inheriting a $30 million cap hit in the first year, plus potentially redoing his contract as a part of any trade or shortly down the road. It would make the margins tight for the Bills. 

Then again, they’re going to be tight no matter what. There might not be many players like Crosby available. The only pass rusher remotely in the same stratosphere who could be available is Bengals DE Trey Hendrickson, and he’s a lot older than Crosby even if the Bills wouldn’t have to give up any picks to sign him. 

Cincinnati Bengals

You don’t typically see the Bengals associated with blockbuster swings like this, but this past season started to expose some cracks in Cincinnati’s foundation with QB Joe Burrow. It marked the third year the Bengals and Burrow have missed the playoffs, which is not at all what the standard should be for a player of his caliber, even if his time missed to injuries in two of those years was a big factor in the team’s collective underperformance. It’s not a red alert situation yet but there is smoke that Burrow could eventually want to force an exit if things don’t improve. 

The Bengals have dedicated a ton of resources to the offense during Burrow’s career. It’s the defense that has fallen off the hardest over the past three seasons. That’s where most of Cincinnati’s focus will be this offseason as they look to rebuild the unit and do it fast. The top item on the list is probably going to be replacing Hendrickson, who seems on his way out after a year tainted by an ugly contract dispute. 

Perhaps the Bengals go after someone better? They have the cash and they have the picks to make a deal happen. Crosby would be elated to play with Burrow, and he’d be the type of cornerstone player the Bengals could build the rest of the defense around. The biggest possible objection to this deal is that it’s just not the Bengals’ style. But if they don’t make some big changes voluntarily this offseason, they could end up with bigger problems down the line. 

Seattle Seahawks

Seattle showed some interest in Crosby last year when both the Seahawks and Raiders were sorting through things with QBs Geno Smith and Sam Darnold. Now that the Seahawks are coming off a Super Bowl and the Raiders have the No. 1 pick, it would make a lot of sense to revisit the idea. 

Seahawks GM John Schneider has a long track record of big and bold trades, and he has put the Seahawks in a great position long-term. Seattle is projected to be sixth in the NFL in available cap space next year with over $60 million. Some of that will be earmarked for extensions for players like Darnold, WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba, CB Devon Witherspoon and others, but even accounting for those, the Seahawks should have some flexibility to get creative. 

The Seattle pass rush is already one of the strongest parts of the team, but adding Crosby to the league’s top defense this past year would just be unfair. If the Seahawks want to repeat as Super Bowl champions, resting on their laurels isn’t the path. Making their strengths dominant might be.  

New England Patriots

It’s taken as foundational NFL wisdom that it’s almost impossible to get to the Super Bowl without an elite pass rush. The Patriots defied that, however, by finishing the regular season tied for 22nd in sacks with 35 and just 24th in pressure rate at 20.3 percent. New England improved those numbers in the postseason but it’s still probably the biggest area of concern going forward as the Patriots try to become consistent contenders, not just a feel-good one-year turnaround. 

With plenty of cash and a full complement of draft picks to work with, the Patriots could throw their hat in the ring for Crosby. As the AFC’s Super Bowl representative, they would be able to make a compelling pitch to Crosby, who’s looking to land with a winner. The presence of HC Mike Vrabel and QB Drake Maye are huge selling points as well. Crosby is an especially good fit with Vrabel’s culture and the two men would probably hit it off great. 

Dallas Cowboys

Of the teams with multiple first-round picks to work with in the next couple of seasons, the Cowboys stand out as the most likely suitor for Crosby. Owner Jerry Jones has already backed up his statement after the Parsons trade that they could use the picks and money they got from dealing him away to go after other big-name players. Dallas added DT Quinnen Williams at the trade deadline and still has three firsts over the next two years to work with. 

Strangely the Cowboys ranked first in the NFL last season in pressure rate on opposing quarterbacks at over 30 percent. An edge room of Jadeveon Clowney, Dante Fowler, Sam Williams and Donovan Ezeiruaku didn’t have the star power it would have had with Parsons, but it held up okay. However, the Cowboys couldn’t convert that pressure to sacks, ranking just 22nd with 35 sacks on the season. Ezeiruaku is also the only one in that group who’s under contract next year. 

I can’t say that turning Parsons into Crosby instead of just paying Parsons is optimal team building for Jones if that’s how things turn out. The Cowboys would be a better team with Crosby on the roster than off of it, however. Star edge rushers are hard to find and aren’t generally traded away unless there are extenuating circumstances. Jones has a chance to replace Parsons with an edge rusher who’s at least in the same conversation, as long as he can figure out the salary pie chart with all the other moving pieces the Cowboys have this offseason. 

San Francisco 49ers

The 49ers are another organization that’s comfortable going big-game hunting on the trade market, and one of the biggest weaknesses they’ll be looking to fix this upcoming offseason is the pass rush. Losing elite DE Nick Bosa hurt but it was still startling to see the 49ers finish the season with just 20 sacks — six fewer than the New York Jets, the next closest team. 

For a team that’s built its identity around having a deep and talented defensive line rotation, that sort of production is unconscionable. Landing Crosby would fix that in a big way, and the idea of having him and Bosa coming at the quarterback from opposite sides has to be appealing for both San Francisco and Crosby. The 49ers would be able to check some big boxes for Crosby as well in terms of contending status and allowing him to stay on the West Coast. 

Of course, the 49ers would have to square the cost. They’re still in a spot where they need to hit on a lot of draft picks to restock the roster with affordable contributors, and burning multiple premium picks on Crosby might not be the best long-term choice. They’d also have to figure out the financial ramifications of having two pass rushers on deals that add up to $70 million combined in average annual salary — before any adjustments the players pursue. The Packers are in that neighborhood with Parsons and OLB Rashan Gary and the salary cap will be over $300 million, so it can be done. It would require sacrifices elsewhere, though. 

Pittsburgh Steelers

On the surface, the Steelers don’t seem to be a big factor for Crosby given they already have T.J. Watt, one of the league’s best pass rushers, and Alex Highsmith, a quality running mate. Others in the rotation like Nick Herbig also look like ascending players. But Pittsburgh hired Crosby’s defensive coordinator for the past four years, Patrick Graham, and that connection alone makes this worth watching. The Steelers have a bevy of draft picks, though weighted more toward the third round and later. It would still be a steep ask to give up multiple firsts but they at least have a shot to make up for it with quantity if not quality. 

Tennessee Titans

While going from the Raiders to the Titans might seem like jumping from the frying pan into the fire for Crosby, Tennessee has some underrated selling points that make it a dark horse worth keeping in mind as this process plays out. There’s a personal connection here with new DC Gus Bradley coming in. He held the same role for Crosby in 2021, the first year he was voted to the Pro Bowl. 

The Titans also have two other compelling selling points in HC Robert Saleh and QB Cam Ward. Saleh will run the defense and has a long track record of great units on that side of the ball. He’s also viewed as a player’s coach who connects well with the locker room, which Crosby would appreciate. Ward had to slog through a tough rookie year but the promise that made him the No. 1 overall pick is still there. It’s a big reason the Titans had some options this coaching cycle despite the lingering effects of dysfunctional ownership. 

The Titans would have to work through which picks exactly to send to the Raiders, as their current 2026 first-rounder at No. 4 overall is too high to include in a deal. They also have to decide if Crosby fits their long-term outlook, as the Titans’ roster is in a very similar spot to the Raiders. That more than anything else might be what kills a potential trade here. 

Chicago Bears

There aren’t many connections to draw here. Bears DC Dennis Allen used to coach for the Raiders but he didn’t overlap with Crosby. This is as simple as Chicago needing a defensive end to elevate its pass rush and help the team take the next step over the hump in 2026, and Crosby being the best potentially available option. 

The Bears are in the red for the time being but have some flexibility thanks to QB Caleb Williams’ rookie contract. They also have a solid complement of draft picks for the time being. If they decide now is the time to make an aggressive swing, they could assert themselves in the running for Crosby. 

Detroit Lions

Every year, the Lions are connected to all these big potential trades, and every year the duo of GM Brad Holmes and HC Dan Campbell takes a more measured approach. Even though Holmes came from the Rams as they were entering their “F them picks” era, he does not seem to have brought that ethos with him. For that reason, a Crosby trade is probably unlikely. 

They also have a long list of other homegrown players they need to pay, including RB Jahmyr Gibbs, TE Sam LaPorta, LB Jack Campbell and S Brian Branch. Detroit already forked over $45 million a year for DE Aidan Hutchinson, so it’s probably not prudent team building to send two first-round picks and a Hummer full of cash to get Crosby.

It’s hard to shake how perfect a fit Crosby would be with the Lions, though. His relentless grit and energy mesh perfectly with the culture Campbell has built in Detroit, and Crosby would fill a massive need for a quality edge rusher across from Hutchinson that the Lions have been trying to fill for a few years now. It may be a pipe dream to think about Crosby in Honolulu blue but it’s fun nevertheless.