No player fits the mystique of the Las Vegas Raiders better than edge rusher Maxx Crosby, who headlines the franchise’s pre-game introductions on game days and remains one of the most popular players among fans of the Silver and Black.
Raiders general manager John Spytek understands that sentiment, saying at the NFL Scouting Combine that he expects Crosby to remain with the Raiders for the upcoming season.
“Maxx is an elite player,” Spytek said. “I’ve been very upfront from the start when I got here that we’re in the business of having really good players on the team, and we need a lot more of them. And it’s hard to build a great team without elite players.”
However, FOX Sports Insider Jay Glazer reported that Crosby wants out of Las Vegas. An NFL personnel executive I spoke to believes it’s a good time for the Raiders to trade Crosby as well. The executive told me he thinks it would take two first-round picks and a starting player to consummate a deal for Crosby, and that it was time for the talented edge rusher and the Raiders to part ways.
“The organization needs a full rebuild,” the personnel executive told me.
Crosby turns 29 years old in August and is signed through the 2029 season. The Raiders have the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft and are expected to take the team’s quarterback of the future in Fernando Mendoza.
But as the Raiders potentially seek a trade package similar to the one the Dallas Cowboys received from the Green Bay Packers for Micah Parsons, one league source doesn’t love the idea of trading Crosby. But he had a few potential destinations in mind for the disgruntled star.
“I could see the Rams, Bears and maybe the Bills or Ravens [as suitors for Crosby],” a league source told me. “Probably 60/40 they move him. But he could remain for sure. Trading excellent players is a risky business.”
So, with that in mind, here are five teams that could make sense as destinations should the Raiders choose to move on from one of the best defensive players in the league in Crosby.
Maxx Crosby could go from chasing Dak Prescott to supporting him on defense. (Ian Maule/Getty Images)
Runners-up in the Super Bowl, the Patriots could use more pass rush help to augment the dominant interior pressure provided by Milton Williams and Christian Barmore, and Crosby would be an ideal fit for the Patriots. And New England’s coaching staff knows Crosby, having played for offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels when he served as head coach of the Raiders.
The Patriots can continue to take advantage of some wiggle room financially, with Drake Maye still being under his rookie contract.
The 49ers totaled a league-low 20 sacks last year. The team’s top two pass rushers – Nick Bosa and rookie Mykel Williams – both finished the year on the injured reserve due to knee injuries that required season-ending surgery. The addition of Crosby would allow time for Bosa and Williams to fully recover from those injuries.
New San Francisco defensive coordinator Raheem Morris has worked with talented pass rushers like Aaron Donald and Von Miller in the past. Morris could put Crosby in the best possible position for success in his versatile scheme. All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner is also expected to make a healthy return from a season-ending leg injury last season. The 49ers could use another game wrecker on defense to compete against the defending champion Seattle Seahawks in the NFC West.
Nose tackle Travis Jones led the Ravens with only five sacks last season, so Baltimore needs pass-rush help along the perimeter of their defense. Jones was rewarded with a new deal this offseason. The Ravens played without their best player up front in 2025, with Nnamdi Madubuike missing the last 15 games because of a neck injury. His return to play is still uncertain.
New head coach Jesse Minter is familiar with Crosby from his time serving as defensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Chargers and facing the Raiders twice a year. Baltimore wants to get back to playing dominant defense, and what better way to do that than adding one of the best pass rushers in the game? A top priority for the Ravens is re-signing franchise quarterback Lamar Jackson, but the audition of Crosby would help augment a defense led by defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver, who has returned to the organization.
Crosby and Bears quarterback Caleb Williams are close, and Chicago could use another pass rusher for a team ready to chase a Super Bowl in the NFC North. The Raiders traded another game-changing edge rusher to Chicago eight years ago in Khalil Mack, so there’s some history between the two teams in executing blockbuster trades.
Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen, a former head coach of the Raiders, would get the most out of Crosby’s unique skill set. And Crosby would be a great fit for the culture of the Bears, which has a rich history of talented defensive players like Mike Singletary, Brian Urlacher and Richard Dent.
Should the Bears trade for Maxx Crosby? | The Herd
Owner Jerry Jones traded one of the top pass rushers in the league away to the Green Bay Packers last year after a contract impasse in Parsons. Here, Jones attempts to fix his underwhelming defense by adding one of the best pass rushers in the game in Crosby. With two first-round picks, the Cowboys have the draft capital to get something done.
The Cowboys brought in new defensive coordinator Christian Parker to replace the fired Matt Ebeflus, who served as the defensive passing game coordinator under defensive guru Vic Fangio with the Philadelphia Eagles. Dallas has talented pieces already on the roster in Quinnen Williams, Dante Fowler Jr. and Kenny Clark. A Texas native, Crosby would be another transformational foundation piece to help jumpstart an underperforming defense from last season.
