The Raiders have resisted trading Maxx Crosby amid a set of down years, giving him a monster extension to stay as the Tom Brady-John Spytek-Pete Carroll regime took over. Las Vegas’ late-season decision to shelve Crosby may represent a breaking point in this relationship.
Crosby has spoken out against the Raiders’ apparent tanking for the No. 1 overall pick, doing so after showing a video in which he played basketball and jumped on a trampoline following a report he needs meniscus surgery. Without a draft lottery in place, the team had plenty of incentive to move in this direction.
Crosby was not the only marquee Raider shut down before Week 17, as the team placed Brock Bowers on IR ahead of a pivotal loss to the Giants. While Bowers will not be going anywhere ahead of the 2026 season, Crosby no longer appears a lock to stay.
Not long after a report indicating Crosby would evaluate his Raiders future surfaced, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini indicates many around the league are wondering about this situation. Many believe a trade could take place if this dispute persists. The Raiders could cash in the Jon Gruden 2.0-era draftee for valuable draft capital as the Brady-Spytek duo follows through with a rebuild. Carroll does not appear to be part of that vision any longer, with the Raiders expected to make him a one-and-done HC following this dismal season.
Carroll is believed to be pushing for a second season, and Outkick.com’s Armando Salguero notes that the veteran HC was overruled on Crosby. Carroll wanted Crosby for the stretch run, per Salguero, while the decision to sit him “came down from on high.” It is not exactly surprising a coach on the hot seat wanted his top player available, but a coach-front office disagreement of this sort is certainly notable given the dysfunction that has plagued the Raiders in recent years.
The four-time NFL HC pitched a quicker turnaround in his interview last year, and the Raiders went in that direction. Though, they only hired Carroll after a Brady-led push for Ben Johnson failed. That represented a striking shift, as Carroll became the oldest HC in NFL history — at 74 — this season. The Raiders are 2-14 and will likely be looking (again) for a new quarterback soon; the Carroll-Geno Smith reunion has not panned out. The No. 1 overall pick will give the Raiders a great chance to finally solve their post-Derek Carr dilemma, with Fernando Mendoza links already emerging.
Carroll understandably disagrees on the topic of a rebuild, but it appears that is where the Raiders are headed. Crosby is signed through 2029, with three years (and $106.5MM) tacked onto his previous deal. With $30MM of Crosby’s 2025 compensation tied up in base salary, the Raiders would not eat much dead money by moving him in 2026. The team would incur barely $5MM by dealing this contract. With Crosby exiting his age-28 season, plenty of suitors would emerge.
Mark Davis has shut down Crosby trade inquiries in the past (including at this year’s deadline), but time is running out to sell high here. Crosby will be entering his eighth NFL season in 2026. He has made five straight Pro Bowls and finished with the most tackles for loss in the NFL in 2022 and ’23, doing so despite the Raiders struggling and not giving him much help in terms of a sidekick bookend in those years. Crosby actually improved on his TFL number this season, delivering 28 before his season ended against his wishes after 15 games. That is a career-best number by five, though Myles Garrett‘s 32 — a number that sits behind only J.J. Watt‘s transcendent 2012 for most this century — leads the league.
I discussed the prospect of Crosby being a clearer 2026 trade candidate than Garrett in this week’s PFR Chat, even as the Browns icon is in a similar position. Crosby is also more than a year younger, giving the Raiders an interesting opportunity. While it would be difficult to replace Crosby, it appears Brady and Spytek are much more open to the idea compared to Carroll. That could win out for Davis. Speaking out against such an approach previously, Crosby will likely find himself in trade rumors soon.