After the trade to the Baltimore Ravens fell through, Maxx Crosby has made it clear he wants to be part of the solution with the Las Vegas Raiders. The Silver and Black are in Year 1 of a rebuild, and their timeline to compete might not be aligned with Crosby’s.
Crosby will turn 29 before the 2026 season starts, and unless the Raiders surprise people this upcoming campaign, all signs point to the team having a challenging year.
While winning games will be important, the main focus will eventually be on developing Fernando Mendoza and making sure he’s ready to go once he takes over the job. Nonetheless, Crosby is conducting himself as if he wants to be part of this team, as The Athletic’s Sam Warren noted in an update on the player.
“He’s the guy that’s leading kind of the pre-practice handshake circles, dapping up all his teammates, really kind of getting the energy going pre-practice, whether he’s doing somersaults or stretches or whatever he’s doing out there,” Warren said on the June 18 edition of the “Just Win Podcast.” “He’s definitely being active, kind of an active part of this team. I think he is trying to be a leader, part of the leadership group, [and] part of this team.
“I think he really wants to be a leader for this defense, and things obviously didn’t work out the way that probably both the Raiders and him intended with him coming back to this team. But now that things are happening, I think he is happy with the way that things have turned out. At least from his own comments, it seems like he’s reintegrated himself back into the Raiders pretty well.”
Raiders Defense Excited to Have Maxx Crosby as Leader
Moreover, Warren shared what he’s noticing from the Raiders’ defensive players about Crosby being back and leading this group that will try to make opposing offenses’ lives miserable under new defensive coordinator Rob Leonard.
“A lot of the defensive guys have said that he’s very active and he’s the same old Maxx with his leadership tendencies,“ Warren added. “I think he’s excited to be a part of this team for however long that is. I think there is that lingering thought that he could be moved at some point, whether that’s at the trade deadline or sometime in the future.
“But at this point and going into the season, they’re excited about him getting back on the field, being that leadership part for this defense. And I think he’s really excited about what Rob Leonard has cooked up, with him obviously being his old defensive line coach.”
Despite his knee injury that he would later need surgery on, Crosby put up good numbers in the 2025 season. Last campaign, the Raiders edge rusher played 935 total snaps, leading to a 79.7 overall PFF defensive grade.
Furthermore, Crosby generated 53 total pressures, 10 sacks, 31 hurries, 12 QB hits, and a forced fumble. Meanwhile, against the run, he recorded 46 solo tackles.
Two Teams Could Be Tracking Maxx Crosby During the Season
If Crosby shows that he’s the same player and that his torn meniscus injury is behind him, expect teams to be lining up to make an offer for him later this year. As a result, Raiders on SI’s Hondo Carpenter shared two teams that are interested in Crosby.
“Let’s talk about the Maxx Crosby trade rumors,“ Carpenter said on the June 13 edition of the Las Vegas Raiders Insider Podcast. “I know there are a lot of fans who, after the season, when we talked about it, mocked me, got mad, and even had people threaten me.
“Then, bam, you saw him get traded to Baltimore. Okay, I am telling you there is a lot of interest in Maxx Crosby. Two teams specifically are nuclear hot: the Eagles and the 49ers.
“I still believe there are two, maybe as many as three other teams absolutely in play for Maxx. Okay. Does that mean that Maxx is in [Raiders general manager John Spytek’s] office saying, ‘I want out.‘ No. Does that mean that Spytek is saying, ‘I want him gone.‘ No.”
Raiders Insider Gives Maxx Crosby Update Amid Trade Speculation