Maxx Crosby’s focus appears to be on staying with the Las Vegas Raiders long-term. However, if the Silver and Black get off to a challenging start this 2026 NFL season, speculation about Crosby will resurface.
Last season with the Raiders, Crosby played 935 total snaps on defense, leading to a 79.7 overall PFF defensive grade. The veteran pass rusher generated 53 total pressures, 10 sacks, 31 hurries, 12 QB hits, and a forced fumble. Meanwhile, against the run, he recorded 46 solo tackles.
Moreover, this production came while playing through a torn meniscus. Crosby was also traded this past offseason to the Baltimore Ravens, but the deal fell through due to a failed physical.
Nonetheless, if Crosby shows he’s healthy, teams will come calling for the Silver and Black around the trade deadline should the team be below .500. As a result, Evan Cohen of ESPN believes that Crosby would be a missing piece to elevate the Dallas Cowboys defense into a Super Bowl contender.
“The name that I keep coming back to is Maxx Crosby,” Cohen said on the Aug. 18 edition of “First Take.” “I think that’s the obvious one just because the Raiders tried to trade him. I think it is in the best interest of the Raiders, of Crosby, and of the incoming team for him to go somewhere else.
“I’ve thought about the Lions as a result of or in relation to Crosby. I’ve also thought about potentially the Buffalo Bills, but I’m wondering if the Cowboys are starting to show signs of reminding me of a team in the mid-’90s, ’94-’95, the San Francisco 49ers.”
Raiders’ Maxx Crosby Would Fit Cowboys’ Defensive Line
Furthermore, Cohen believes Crosby is an ideal fit alongside defensive tackles Kenny Clark and Quinnen Williams, as well as veteran pass rusher Von Miller.
“I’m wondering if the Cowboys have what it takes,” Cohen added. “Now, let’s sprinkle in some of these all-time great vets to kind of put us over the top. It almost feels like that baseball team in some ways where you’re like, they have a lights-out closer, but if you can add another guy, just put him in the pen and figure it out. That’s the vibe that the Cowboys are giving me right now. They feel like they’re an inch away from really making a push here.”
Cowboys Must Stay In Playoff Picture for Maxx Crosby Trade
Meanwhile, in the same segment on “First Take,” ESPN NFL analyst Chris Canty noted that if the Cowboys can get to the trade deadline in or around a playoff spot, then a potential move for Crosby could be a serious possibility.
“If you get to the trade deadline and there is a Maxx Crosby deal to be had, then you make that move,” Canty said. Maybe the Las Vegas Raiders have fallen out of it. They’ve got eyes toward the future.
“They’re willing to sell off Maxx Crosby. Hell, they were willing to do it this past offseason, but the medical didn’t check out for the Ravens. So maybe there is that big fish that emerges once we get to that point in the season.”
Raiders’ Maxx Crosby Gets Strong Statement Involving Cowboys