Getty Richard Sherman, former 49ers star
Maybe Richard Sherman just wants to give a helping hand to his old team, the one he helped to Super Bowl LIV back in 2019, when he was tabbed for his sixth Pro Bowl appearance of his illustrious career. Maybe he still has some affection for his old coach, Kyle Shanahan of the 49ers, or maybe his old defensive coordinator in San Francisco, Robert Saleh, now the head coach of the Jets.
But in a video he made for Volume Sports, Sherman, a former star cornerback and now a commentator for Amazon’s Thursday Night Football, expresses his sincere desire to see Raiders star edge rusher Maxx Crosby play elsewhere—maybe the Cowboys or Jets, sure, but the 49ers first and foremost.
Here’s what Sherman had to say on Crosby:
“Maxx Crosby deserves a lot of credit, he deserves a lot more credit than he’s getting. But he plays for the Raiders and he always has something overshadow him. But Maxx Crosby has been an amazing player in the National Football League for a long time, and is continuing to make an impact week in and week out. I just hope he gets to a team that could utilize him correctly. I don’t know if it’s the San Francisco 49ers, the Jets, the Cowboys even—somewhere that’s going to use him and get him the spotlight that he deserves because, my goodness, he is wasting away in Las Vegas, and you hate to see it.”
“My goodness, he is wasting away in Las Vegas”
—@RSherman_25 just wants what’s best for Maxx Crosby
49ers Could Have All-Time Great D-Line
Sherman has a point in that Crosby has been one of the best pass rushers in the NFL since he was drafted out of Eastern Michigan in the fourth round in 2014, but does not get much credit for his abilities. Crosby has been a Pro Bowler the last two seasons, recording eight sacks in 2021 and 12.5 sacks last year. He led the league in tackles for loss last season, with 22.
He already has 4.0 sacks this season, which makes him one of nine players to have at least 4.0 sacks.
While Crosby is “overshadowed” by outside issues with the Raiders, as Sherman put it, he would get ample opportunity to shine in San Francisco with an already stellar group of pash-rushers on hand. Crosby frequently deals with double-teams in Las Vegas, no surprise considering he is playing opposite Tyree Wilson, an unpolished rookie.
Bookend him with Nick Bosa on the edge, and with Arik Armstead and Javon Hargrave on the interior, and the Niners would have an all-time great group of defensive linemen. Crosby is not cheap—he just signed a four-year, $94 million contract this offseason—but his 2023 cap hit is only $13 million, and the Niners are sitting on more than $40 million in room.
Raiders Trading Crosby? It’s a Longshot
As enticing as that sounds, prying Crosby out of Las Vegas would be a longshot. He is arguably the most popular player on the team, even if he does not have the national profile other pass rushers do. The Raiders are not out to dump him, and it’s hard to imagine that changing, no matter how bad the struggles get for the Raiders.
It doesn’t help, either, that the Niners are expected to be one of the two or three best regular-season teams here in 2023, meaning their 2024 first-round draft pick will be, for all intents and purposes, practically a second-rounder. If the Raiders were to put Crosby on the trade market, they would almost certainly get a better offer than what the 49ers could give.
Still, turning the Niners D-line into an embarrassment of riches is a nice thought—for Sherman, or anyone else around the 49ers.