LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - OCTOBER 18: Maxx Crosby #98 of the Las Vegas Raiders leaves the field at halftime of a game against the Buffalo Bills at Allegiant Stadium on October 18, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) Getty
The Las Vegas Raiders have had a pretty hectic start to the 2026 campaign. After winning their first three games of the year, the Raiders have responded by dropping their past four games, putting them in a bit of an odd position ahead of the upcoming trade deadline. Las Vegas has been better than expected, but is that enough to convince the front office to operate as a buyer?
The most prudent strategy could involve straddling the line between buyer and seller, as there could be deals on both ends of the spectrum that make sense for this team. If the Raiders do sell, one guy who will draw considerable interest is superstar defender Maxx Crosby. Right now, it doesn't seem like the team is desperate to move on from him, but an anonymous general manager left the door open for a deal to get made.
On the surface, it wouldn't make much sense to trade Crosby, but it is worth remembering that he was initially set to be traded to the Baltimore Ravens over the offseason. The Ravens were set to give up a pair of first-round picks in exchange for Crosby, but they backed out of the deal at the last second due to concerns over his physical.
The reason Las Vegas was shopping Crosby was that he requested a trade. After this deal fell through, the two sides reconciled, and the Raiders shut down trade talks for the five-time Pro Bowler. However, considering how he was very nearly traded, folks across the league have continued to wonder if he could be up for grabs at the trade deadline.
Crosby has put concerns about his health to rest by suiting up for all seven of the team's games so far, and while his numbers aren't outrageous (18 tackles, two sacks, one pass breakup, one forced fumble), he is still the motor powering Las Vegas' defense. At this point, a trade is unlikely, but per one anonymous general manager, with an asking price of two first-round picks already established, a team could conceivably give the Raiders an offer they can't refuse .
"They set the price already, really, didn't they? They had (two first-round picks) from (Ravens GM Eric) DeCosta. So you can't really act like he's not available now," the GM said, per Jason La Canfora of casino.org. "I don't think they take less than that. I'm not sure someone offers that; that was a reach by Baltimore … But he's still a dominant player. The knee isn't holding him back."
GettyLAS VEGAS, NEVADA – OCTOBER 18: Maxx Crosby #98 of the Las Vegas Raiders leaves the field at halftime of a game against the Buffalo Bills at Allegiant Stadium on October 18, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Nobody is saying that the Raiders are a playoff team just yet, but they have proven that they are further ahead in their rebuild than initially expected. Crosby doesn't necessarily fit the timeline of the team's rebuild, but he's the sort of guy you want to keep around in your locker room. Simply put, it just doesn't feel like now is the time to trade Crosby.
A team could blow Las Vegas' doors off and offer a pair of first-round picks for him, but that doesn't seem all that likely right now, especially with his production being a bit quieter than what we could typically expect for him. Crosby could be traded, but that's true of just about any player in the league, so unless something crazy happens, he should be set to remain in Las Vegas past the trade deadline.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
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