The Las Vegas Raiders are prepared to start the season with Maxx Crosby leading the defense, but one NFL analyst believes he will find his way to a new team before the season finale.
The Raiders reset with Crosby after his failed trade to the Baltimore Ravens, with reports that the team took the star edge rusher off the trade block. While Crosby is expected to start the season in Las Vegas, Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport believes he may ultimately end up with an NFC Super Bowl contender.
Raiders Could Ship Maxx Crosby for Big Draft Haul
Davenport broke down a series of potential NFL trades, suggesting the Raiders could ship Crosby to the Chicago Bears in exchange for a 2027 first-round pick and a 2028 second-round pick. Davenport noted that the Bears showed interest in Crosby the first time he hit the trade block, and could pull the trigger for a second trade that would boost their Super Bowl hopes.
“Despite a clear need at edge-rusher, the Bears did little in free agency or this year’s draft to address the position,” Davenport wrote. “Crosby is saying all the right things, but there is no way his relationship with a team that shut him down against his wishes last year and then tried to trade him to Baltimore is perfectly harmonious.”
Davenport added that the franchises are headed in different directions, with the Raiders starting a rebuild and potentially looking for more draft assets to continue building around quarterback Fernando Mendoza, while the Bears may be ready to go all-in on a Super Bowl run.
“Chicago has Super Bowl aspirations in 2026, and the Raiders will be fortunate just to be chasing a playoff berth by 2028. Vegas needs to add young assets. Think about that long-term vision Chicago’s head coach mentioned,” Davenport wrote.
Davenport added that the Raiders could be motivated to deal Crosby while his value is still close to its peak, before the Ravens raised concerns about the long-term prospects of his surgically repaired knee.
“And the return for Crosby may never be better than what it is right now if the Ravens are right about his knee,” Davenport wrote.
Maxx Crosby Ready to Stay in Las Vegas
Crosby welcomed his return to Las Vegas after the trade to the Ravens fell apart, quieting any speculation that he might want out. NFL insider Jason La Canfora of SportsBoom reported that there is no urgency for a trade on either side, with Crosby hoping to excel after recovering from his knee injury.
“Crosby is working out on his own and not taking part in Las Vegas’s offseason practices, but league sources said he continues to throw himself into his recovery,” La Canfora reported. “Crosby has told friends around the league he is as fired up as ever to have a monster season in the public fallout of the Ravens bailing on an agreed-upon trade, and he was never going to be fully cleared for football activities in time for the start of May Organized Team Activity practices.”
Raiders Star Maxx Crosby Faces New Bears Trade Speculation