The Las Vegas Raiders have been one of the most chaotic franchises in the NFL for two decades now. They have just two winning seasons since 2002 and haven’t had a coach last four full seasons.
Defensive end Maxx Crosby got fed up with it after seven years with the franchise and requested a trade. He did get traded to the Baltimore Ravens, but that fell through.
Tight end Brock Bowers may not be as patient as Crosby. He had a record-breaking rookie season and played well when he was healthy last year. He has the potential to be the best tight end in the NFL as long as he stays on the field. However, according to Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, Bowers may have started thinking about asking for a trade if the Raiders didn’t fire Pete Carroll and his coaching staff.
“Maxx Crosby wanting out of town was well documented. I think it was just a matter of time before Brock Bowers was going to start making noise to get me the hell out of here,” Florio said in a video posted to YouTube. “If they didn’t change coaches, they could have had Brock Bowers trying to get out of Las Vegas along with Maxx Crosby.”
Is This a Report or Speculation?
Florio is very plugged into a lot of behind-the-scenes stuff in the NFL. It’s possible that he heard rumblings that Bowers wasn’t happy with the Raiders’ operation.
It’s difficult to know for sure. Bowers is very quiet and keeps to himself. It’s hard to imagine he’s going around telling people he wants a trade. It’s also possible that Florio is just speculating.
Outside of Crosby and now rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza, Bowers is likely the Raiders’ most valuable player. There would be a ton of teams interested in him if he were to want a trade. It is very rare for a young player to even think about a trade this early in their career, and Bowers is about as professional as they come. This is almost certainly just speculation on Florio’s part.
Raiders Wouldn’t Consider Bowers Trade
There’s almost no way the Raiders would even entertain a Bowers trade if he asked for one. He’s under team control for at least three more years, and that doesn’t count a possible franchise tag situation.
He’s only 23, so he’s certainly in the future plans for the franchise. Bowers is their best weapon and could be one of the best playmakers in the NFL in 2026.
It would probably take the greatest haul for a tight end trade in NFL history for Las Vegas to let him go. Fortunately, things are heading in the right direction. Bowers now has a head coach who understands offense at a high level and an exciting young quarterback to throw him the ball. He’s likely in for a massive season that will reestablish him as one of the top offensive players in the league. The Raiders do need to be better from an organizational standpoint, but it seems like they might finally have the right people in place.
Insider Believes Raiders’ 23-Year-Old Superstar Nearly Requested Trade