After a little scare over the Christmas holiday, every indication over the last few weeks is that Maxx Crosby will probably be back with the Raiders in 2025.
Reports have hinted that Crosby is not seeking a trade and during his media rounds at the Super Bowl last week, the All-Pro defensive end sounded like a player that’s happy with the new direction of the organization.
But trade rumors around Crosby aren’t going to die until he signs a new deal with the Raiders, and a report from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero breathed life back into the idea that Crosby might not be a lock to return to Vegas next year.
“While the hiring of Super Bowl winner Pete Carroll was a step toward stability, the Raiders still don’t have a franchise quarterback and have a ton of work to do to field a competitive roster,” Rapoport and Pelissero reported on Sunday. “Trading Crosby for a bounty of picks would be one way to expedite that process, and Crosby might welcome the change, particularly if it’s to a playoff team where he knows people (e.g. Green Bay).”
On the surface it sounds like Rapoport and Pelissero were just tossing around the idea of Green Bay as an example, but there might be a little more to their Packer reference.
Last year, Crosby threatened to “explore a trade request” through the same media personalities now talking about his possible interest in going to the Packers.
If Crosby went through the NFL Network crew to send a message last year, it seems reasonable to believe the same reporting tandem would be an authority on his situation this year.
There’s obviously a line of communication between Crosby and Rapoport/Pelissero, so it would make sense that those particulars insiders have good information on him this year. As we learned in the Ben Johnson saga, there are different insiders who should be considered an authority on particular players, coaches or even organizations.
In Johnson’s case, ESPN’s Adam Schefter was clearly a step ahead of the competition.
But when it comes to Crosby, Rapoport and Pelissero have proven to be reliable sources in the past. So when they mention the Packers as a team Crosby would consider playing for, it’s not a detail to ignore.
The reality of the situation, though, is that Crosby still has two years left on his deal and every indication is that he isn’t pushing to leave the Raiders.
But in the same breath, Crosby has no guaranteed money left in his deal and it’s unlikely the Raiders will expect him to play on his current contract. If the sides have trouble coming together on an extension, that will be the time to start questioning where Crosby is going to play next year.
Listen to how NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo tied Crosby’s contract situation to a potential trade request on Sunday…
