Two games left in a lost season. A 3-14 record. And the Raiders just told their best defensive player—a five-time Pro Bowler, a two-time All-Pro, a man with 69.5 career sacks- that he was done for the year. Not because he couldn’t play, but because the franchise didn’t want him to. He’d been grinding through a knee injury since October, gutting out 15 games with 10 sacks and 28 tackles for loss while the organization crumbled around him. When they told him he was sitting in Week 17, he walked out of the building. His response to reporters was two sentences long, and neither one was diplomatic.
Six Head Coaches. One Playoff Appearance. Zero Loyalty Repaid.
Dec 14, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby (98) on the field after loss to the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
He has been the lone constant in a franchise that’s burned through six head coaches since 2021—Gruden, Bisaccia, McDaniels, Pierce, Carroll, and now Klint Kubiak. He ranks first among all defensive linemen since 2019 in tackles for loss with 133 career. He’s posted double-digit sacks in four of his seven NFL seasons. He’s been named to five straight Pro Bowls. In return, this organization has handed him exactly one playoff appearance in seven years. The Raiders have placed him on injured reserve against his wishes, and the trade phone is ringing off the hook.
The Asking Price: Two First-Rounders
Dec 7, 2025; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby (98) on the field prior to a game against the Denver Broncos at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
The Raiders want a king’s ransom to let Maxx Crosby go, with multiple reports saying the price is set at two first-round picks and a starting-caliber player. That framework mirrors what Dallas got for Micah Parsons last August, when the Cowboys shipped their All-Pro edge rusher to Green Bay for two first-rounders and defensive tackle Kenny Clark. There’s one glaring problem with the comparison: Parsons was 26 at the time of his trade. Crosby turns 29 this August and just had knee surgery in January. The Raiders are pricing him like a player entering his prime. The calendar says otherwise.
The Parsons Precedent Cuts Both Ways
Green Bay Packers defensive end Micah Parsons (1) sacks Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff (16) on Sunday, September 7, 2025, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis. The Packers won the game, 27-13. Tork Mason/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin
The Parsons deal changed the market for elite pass rushers overnight. Green Bay surrendered two first-round picks—2026 and 2027—plus a three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle, then immediately signed Parsons to a four-year, $188 million contract with $136 million guaranteed. The Raiders are banking on that trade resetting the floor for Crosby. But the circumstances aren’t identical. Parsons had no injury concerns and was two years younger. Crosby is a 28-year-old coming off meniscus surgery with four years and roughly $30 million per season remaining on his deal. That’s not a discount—it’s a commitment any acquiring team has to swallow on top of surrendering premium draft capital.
The Cap Math That Makes This Real
Dec 7, 2025; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby (98) and Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton meet on the field following a game at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Crosby signed a three-year, $106.5 million extension last offseason that made him the highest-paid non-quarterback in football. It runs through 2029. For the Raiders, trading him would save $30.69 million in cap space with only $5.1 million in dead-cap charges. That’s clean math for a rebuilding team sitting on the No. 1 overall pick and eight total draft selections. For a team trading for Crosby, the annual cap hit lands around $29-30 million, expensive, but reasonable for an edge rusher who’s already locked in long-term and doesn’t need a new deal.
Half the League Is Calling
Dec 7, 2025; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby (98) takes the field prior to a game against the Denver Broncos at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
The suitors are stacking up. The Patriots are considered the most aggressive, and for good reason—Crosby reportedly told The Athletic’s Dianna Russini he wants to play for coach Mike Vrabel. The Bears, Cowboys, Buccaneers, Chargers, Eagles, Lions, and Commanders have all been mentioned in various reports. Tampa Bay hasn’t had a player reach 10 sacks since Shaquil Barrett in 2021; Crosby has hit that mark in each of the past four seasons. But two first-round picks from a contending team means late first-rounders, and the Raiders know the difference between pick No. 8 and pick No. 28.
Spytek Says Stay—But the Door Isn’t Locked
Apr 25, 2025; Henderson, NV, USA; (L-R) Las Vegas Raiders general manager John Spytek during a news conference introducing Ashton Jeanty as the first round draft pick in the 2025 NFL Draft at Intermountain Health Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-Imagn Images
At the NFL Combine on February 24, new Raiders GM John Spytek did his best impression of a man holding a grenade with the pin still in. Asked if he expects Crosby on the 2026 roster, Spytek answered plainly: “I do. Maxx is an elite player, and 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”. But when pressed on whether anyone is untouchable, he left the window cracked—the team “always listens”. Russini reported the quiet part out loud: this is going to come down to what Maxx wants.
The Rob Leonard Card
Aug 23, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Las Vegas Raiders defensive line coach Rob Leonard with defensive end Jahfari Harvey (91) against the Arizona Cardinals during a preseason NFL game at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
The Raiders aren’t stupid. They know Crosby’s relationship with the coaching staff matters, which is exactly why they promoted defensive line coach Rob Leonard to defensive coordinator under Kubiak. Leonard has worked directly with Crosby for three seasons, and their bond is real. Crosby once told reporters, “It starts with him. I think he’s done an incredible job, and he just pushes us in every single way”. When the promotion was announced, Crosby posted one word on his Instagram story: “legend”. It’s a smart play by the front office. Whether it’s enough to override seven years of organizational chaos is another question entirely.
The Clock Hits Zero on March 11
Feb 24, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Las Vegas Raiders general manager John Spytek speaks at the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
The new league year opens March 11, and that’s when official trades can be executed. But the real dealing is happening right now—at the Combine, in hotel lobbies in Indianapolis, between agents and front offices. Crosby’s representatives are making the rounds, and interested teams are trying to gauge whether the Raiders will actually move off their asking price or if two first-rounders is a poison pill designed to keep him. The reality is somewhere in between. Las Vegas would love to keep its best player, but it would also love three premium assets to jumpstart its rebuild. Both things can be true at once.
Something Has to Give
Oct 19, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby (98) stretches during warmups prior to the game against the Kansas City Chiefs at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images
Maxx Crosby has spent seven years being the hardest-working player on the worst-run franchise in football. He’s never missed a game because he didn’t feel like it. He’s never mailed in a snap. And when the Raiders told him to stand down for a tank job, he told them exactly what he thought of that plan—”I don’t give a s— about the pick, to be honest”. Now he’s rehabbing a surgically repaired knee, watching his prime tick away, and weighing whether loyalty to the Silver and Black is worth another rebuild with another first-time head coach. The Raiders want two first-round picks and a player. Somewhere out there, a contender is doing the math and wondering if Crosby is the missing piece worth mortgaging the future for. Before March 11, we’ll find out who blinks first.
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Sources:
“Raiders place Maxx Crosby on injured reserve; DE to have knee surgery in offseason” — NFL.com
“Raiders break silence on Maxx Crosby IR decision” — Fox News
“The Raiders’ steep asking price in Maxx Crosby trade revealed” — New York Post
“GM John Spytek expects Maxx Crosby to be on Raiders in 2026 amid trade speculation” — NFL.com
“Cowboys trading Micah Parsons to Packers for two first-round picks, Kenny Clark” — NFL.com
“Maxx Crosby would love to play for Patriots coach Mike Vrabel” — New York Post
