As ridiculous as it may seem to Las Vegas Raiders fans, everyone is weighing in on their respective NFL team trading for five-time Pro Bowl pass rusher Maxx Crosby in a slew of scenarios.
The Crosby trade chatter is not really about Chicago, Dallas or Philadelphia. It is about whether the Raiders are ready to admit what their record has already said out loud: this roster is not one move away, and the timeline does not match its best player.
Crosby is 28, still in his prime, and still producing at a premium position. He logged 10 sacks and 73 tackles in 15 games this season. The tension is that production does not always align with direction. Crosby was reportedly frustrated after being shut down with a knee issue, a small moment that can become a big marker when a season is already lost.
Maxx Crosby trade ideas are out of control…
TWSN’s Bears proposal is clean on paper: Chicago sends a 2026 first (No. 25), a 2026 fifth (No. 164) and a 2027 first for Crosby. That is the correct neighborhood for an elite edge rusher, and it also illustrates the real question: are the Raiders selling a player or selling a phase of the franchise? If Las Vegas takes two first-rounders, it is no longer “retooling.” It is choosing draft optionality over a proven cornerstone.
Inside The Iggles frames the same idea from the other side of the leverage curve: Philly has the picks, and it can add young rushers to soften the blow. The proposed packages range from two first-rounders plus a third to a first and third plus Nolan Smith Jr. to two firsts plus Jalyx Hunt. The appeal is obvious. The risk is too. Picks feel like flexibility until you have to hit on them, and “young pass rusher” is not the same as “game-wrecker.”
Dallas is the attention-grabbing landing spot because Dallas is always the attention-grabbing landing spot. But the Cowboys’ angle only matters if the Raiders believe the market will become a bidding war, not a single-team negotiation. That is how you avoid selling low and how you avoid letting public sentiment set your price.
If the Raiders trade Crosby, the return has to do more than look fair. It has to fund a coherent plan: trenches, speed, quarterback timeline, and patience. Otherwise, they are not rebuilding. They are just liquidating.
*Top Photo: Getty Images