With the new league year approaching, Maxx Crosby‘s uncertain future remains a major storyline around the NFL. The star edge rusher is still in place with the Raiders for now, but teams are aware of the possibility of a trade. 
During the latest edition of the Breer Report (video link), Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated noted Crosby could still be willing to continue his Raiders tenure. In place with the team since being drafted in 2019, Crosby has repeatedly indicated a preference for spending his entire career with one team (although he has not shot down the latest round of trade speculation). Owner Mark Davis, meanwhile, has remained consistent in his messaging about wanting to keep the five-time Pro Bowler in the fold.
As Breer notes, Crosby and Davis continue to have a strong relationship. He adds Crosby and new head coach Klint Kubiak have already met briefly, with their initial encounter going well. Since then, Kubiak promoted Rob Leonard to the role of defensive coordinator. Leonard previously worked as Vegas’ defensive line coach and run-game coordinator, making him a familiar face for Crosby in particular. It will be interesting to see if that makes a difference in the 28-year-old’s stance or the team’s willingness to accept anything less than a blockbuster trade price to consider moving on.
Any team in the NFL would of course be upgraded with Crosby in the fold. Breer identifies the Seahawks and Patriots as being among the teams which have an interest on this front (although the list of potential suitors who have reached out is much longer). Both Seattle and New England are in a strong position with respect to projected 2026 cap space. Each team could see changes along the edge this offseason, though.
Boye Mafe is set to see his Seahawks rookie contract expire in March, and he is not high on the team’s priority list in terms of retaining members of its Super Bowl-winning roster. K’Lavon Chaisson, meanwhile, is also a pending free agent. The former first-rounder thrived during his debut New England campaign, posting a career-high 7.5 sacks during the regular season. Chaisson added another three sacks in the playoffs, and at the age of 26 he is set to cash in during free agency.
In the event Seattle and/or New England lose those pass rushers on the open market, a Crosby acquisition would make even more sense. Both teams have a first-round pick, although the Patriots have 11 total selections in 2025’s draft compared to the Seahawks’ four. Whether or not either of the Super Bowl participants make a strong Crosby push will be worth monitoring over the coming weeks.
Seattle could tag Mafe and use him in a trade package for Crosby. Along with picks from this year and next. Seems like a long shot because of the extensions needed for Witherspoon and JSN.
There is no way they would risk a tag on Mafe. He would get top 5 money at the position and would sign within seconds of being tagged. Then any team trading for him would be tied to that salary unless an extension is worked out in advance. Tag is just gambling
Valid point. Won’t be surprised if he goes to LV anyway with the amount of cap they have.
Way too much money to put a tag on Mafe. He’d be untradable at that point.
Why would the Raiders want Mafe? One of the reasons for trading Maxx is that we will be roughly a bottom-5 team, bottom-10 at best. We’re better off getting a pick to use to protect Mendoza.
This is just bait because Crosby wants to go to a “Winner” easy to toss out the SB teams. He won’t go to either.
Yeah us Seahawks and the patriots don’t got money to throw around on Crosby
Seattle has a bunch of free agents and need to get JSN a market resetting contract while the Patriots need to extend Maye and Gonzalez and get receiver or o-line help
Boy, talk about manufacturing rumors out of someone else manufacturing rumors…
Is Sports Illustrated still a thing? I thought they were moving away from real people and doing all AI reporting. This is all garbage. Max had the surgery. He is rehabbing in the Raiders facility in full Raider gear. All this talk is clickbait until the 10,000 mock draft updates appear.
Not only is he not going anywhere, but he’s also been on the West Coast since 2019. Why on Earth would you want to spend your weekends in New England when you could just move up North a little bit and remain on the West Coast?
This article is pure “Click Bait” C’Mon Man!
……. but that would be Crazy if the Seahawks traded for him..
Still with this???
Funny thing is the Raiders local radio- Raider Nation Radio 920am who has hosts in the building (such as JT the Brick) do not think Maxx will be moved. Feel that this comes up every offseason.
Hell, 3 quarters of the league would be suitors. What a stupid article.
Meh, trade him or don’t, give him a raise or don’t (which is what this is to me) seems like every HC Kubiak move as far as building the Raiders coaching staff defensively is to appease Crosby.
But I would still move him for two 1sts and a young player to one NFC Team that seems really good, but really missed their window and is declining: Lions.
Lions get Maxx Crosby…
Raiders get Jameson Williams and the Lions ’26 & ’27 1st round picks…
1) Jameson would fit perfectly as the Raiders deep threat and 1B to Big Slot/Move TE Bowers’ middle field prowess. He will never become a #1 in Detroit with Amon-Ra there. Kubiak could make Williams reach his full potential as the Raiders X WR.
2) Crosby goes to a better team, with a decent playoff chance, but one that is fading as the Lions strength (Offense Unit) was truly missing Ben Johnson all last year while Johnson took the Bears from worst to first.
Goff especially struggled sans Johnson as playcaller.
2) Maxx could pair with Hutchinson on the always hurt Lions Defense, and they have some moments in 2026. But only win 8 or 9 games and ultimately the Lions fall behind the Packers & Bears again without Johnson running the offense, and the Raiders get a possible top 15 pick (and maybe a Top 10 pick in 2027) to add to the Kubiak Spytek Mendoza franchise reforge of the Raiders.
100%.
Build the team. So far away, have to trade him.
I’m not sure why the Lions would want to acquire Maxx to compete, but then trade away Williams. And, imho, Ty Williams would work better for the Raiders.