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After Maxx Crosby was reportedly less than thrilled to be shutdown for the final two games of the regular season, his future with the Las Vegas Raiders is something the rest of the NFL is keeping an eye on.
Per The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, people around the league believe the Raiders will be open to trading Crosby in the offseason if they can’t mend their “strained” relationship.
Crosby has been a popular trade candidate going back to last offseason, but he has frequently shut down any talk of a move.
Leading up to the in-season trade deadline, Crosby used his podcast to dismiss any rumors that he wanted to play for another team:
“I’m sitting here innocently doing what I do. I feel like I have to address it with my teammates. I’m like, ‘I’m not trying to leave,’ you know what I mean? I know it’s a business, I know I don’t have 100 percent control, but I want to be here, I want to be in silver and black. I’ll say it loud and clear I want to be a Raider… Just seeing all the craziness, it’s been f–ing insane… What the f–k has this turned into?”
The Raiders announced on Dec. 27 that Crosby was being placed on injured reserve, citing “deliberate and thorough consultation” with multiple doctors. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Crosby is expected to require knee surgery.
Per Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer, Crosby “vehemently disagreed” with the Raiders’ decision to end his season prematurely and left their facilities when being informed of the move.
This doesn’t necessarily indicate that Crosby will be traded, but there’s an argument it could be in the Raiders’ best interest to move him. He will turn 29 on Aug. 22 and is under contract through the 2029 season.
People within the league feel like the Raiders could potentially get a return similar to what the Dallas Cowboys got for Micah Parsons. That deal saw the Green Bay Packers send two first-round draft picks and Kenny Clark to Dallas.
Given how far away the Raiders’ roster currently is from being a contender, accumulating as many high-end draft picks as possible would be one way to engineer a quick turnaround.
Crosby is still young enough that the Raiders could easily talk themselves into him being a key piece of whatever the next good version of their roster ends up being, but it sounds like it could depend on their ability to fix whatever cracks have developed in their relationship.
A fourth-round draft pick in 2019, Crosby has spent his entire NFL career with the Raiders. He will finish this season with 28 tackles for loss, 20 quarterback hits and 10 sacks in 15 games.