The Detroit Lions missed out on a chance to supercharge their pass rush when Maxx Crosby went off the trade market, but one NFL insider believes the Las Vegas Raiders star could make him available again later this year.
The Lions were seen as one of the top contenders for Crosby earlier this offseason, when the Raiders initially agreed to terms on a trade with the Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens ultimately backed out after getting the results of Crosby’s physical, leaving an uncertain future.
Lions Could Get Another Crack at Maxx Crosby
SI.com insider Albert Breer believes that the Raiders will start the season with Crosby on the roster, but could consider trading him as the upcoming season’s trade deadline approaches.
“I think Crosby will start the season with the Raiders. I also think that the Raiders and Crosby intend to move forward together for the foreseeable future,” Breer wrote.
“But is there a possibility that Crosby could be traded in November? Yeah, it’s not impossible,” he added. “Here’s the hypothetical scenario: Nine games in, Crosby’s crushing it, looking healthy and the Raiders, while showing promise, are 1–8. At that point, the Raiders wouldn’t have to shop him; the calls would come in. And as strong as the 2027 draft promises to be, maybe someone would give them something to think about.”
The speculation linking Crosby to the Lions lingered after the trade with the Ravens blew up. SI.com’s Vito Chirco suggested the Lions might go after the star edge rusher as an “all-in” move to jump back into Super Bowl contention.
“If the Lions want to show they are truly all-in, they should do whatever it takes to land Crosby,” Chirco wrote.
Chirco added that Crosby would give the Lions something they had been searching for across several seasons — a counterpart to Aidan Hutchinson.
“The five-time Pro Bowler, coming off a 10-sack season in Las Vegas, would be the perfect running mate for fellow Pro Bowler Aidan Hutchinson,” Chirco wrote. “And most importantly, lining up the Eastern Michigan product opposite Hutchinson would make Detroit legitimate Super Bowl contenders.”
Lions Didn’t Wait to Make Edge-Rushing Additions
While the Lions may have lost out on landing Crosby the first time he hit the trade block, the team was still active in finding help for Hutchinson. The Lions used a second-round draft pick on Michigan edge rusher Derrick Moore and snagged veteran D.J. Wonnum in free agency.
There could be room for more veteran additions. SI.com’s Chirci believes the Lions could target a player like Joey Bosa, who is still a free agent after a strong season with the Buffalo Bills in 2025.
“I would still like the Lions to go out and get a veteran EDGE, like Joey Bosa, Cam Jordan or Jadeveon Clowney,” Chirco wrote. “It’s because as much as I like Detroit’s draft pick of Derrick Moore and addition of D.J. Wonnum in free agency, I still don’t think the team’s pass-rushing unit will be consistently productive enough throughout the duration of the 2026 season.”
Lions Get Good News With Latest Maxx Crosby Trade Speculation