Getty Maxx Crosby with Jimmy Garoppolo.
Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis has a major decision on his hands. He is in the midst of his fifth coaching search in 11 years and wants to find the right guy long-term.
However, his hands may be tied as star defensive end Maxx Crosby leaked to the media that he would consider requesting a trade if Antonio Pierce isn’t retained as head coach. Pierce performed well as the Raiders’ interim head coach and clearly won over the players.
However, there are big names available like Jim Harbaugh, Bill Belichick and Mike Vrabel. Davis could get starry-eyed and want to hire a head coach with a proven track record of winning. If that happens, he runs the risk of losing Crosby but there’s no doubt the Raiders would get a haul if they were to trade him.
Crosby is only 26 and was just named Second-Team All-Pro by the Associated Press for the second time in his career. The Raiders need a quarterback but don’t pick until No. 13 in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
The Chicago Bears hold the No. 1 pick but appear to be torn on quarterback Justin Fields. If they think he can be the guy going forward, the Raiders dangling a game-changing defensive player like Crosby could be enough to convince them that they should hold onto Fields and trade the No. 1 pick. Perhaps a deal that sends Crosby, the Raiders’ 2024 first-round pick and a 2025 second-round pick would be enough to get a deal done.
Would Trading Maxx Crosby Be Worth the No. 1 Pick?
Maxx Crosby has become the face of the Raiders and arguably the most beloved player by the fan base. Players like him don’t come around often. He has back-to-back seasons with over 12.0 sacks and is already ninth all-time among Raiders sack leaders.
However, the quarterback is the most important position in the NFL and the Raiders need one. This is a loaded quarterback draft that features one of the best prospects at the position ever in USC’s Caleb Williams. Now, if Mark Davis is planning to hire Antonio Pierce, then a Crosby trade likely won’t even be considered. Nor should it be.
That said, if Davis doesn’t think Pierce is the right fit and wants to hire somebody like Jim Harbaugh, then a big swing to get the No. 1 pick could be an intriguing option.
Unlikely Las Vegas Raiders Would Trade Maxx Crosby
It’s unlikely that Maxx Crosby would leak that he’d consider requesting a trade if he wasn’t confident that Antonio Pierce could get the head coaching job. He’s certainly a worthy candidate and even has an interview lined up with the Tennessee Titans for their opening.
Mark Davis also needs to weigh the fact that Crosby isn’t the only player who would be disgruntled if Pierce isn’t retained. After the Raiders Week 18 win over the Denver Broncos, cornerback Jack Jones said the players would boycott if Pierce isn’t hired.
While Crosby is the face of the player movement for Pierce, he’s not the only one who has these feelings. In the end, Pierce will likely get the job and the players will be happy. Time will tell if that’s the right move in the long term.