Maxx Crosby has often described his connection to the Las Vegas Raiders as something deeper than football, and the organization echoed that sentiment when it chose not to move him at the 2025 trade deadline.
For a team mired in transition and uncertainty, keeping its most reliable and passionate player felt like a deliberate attempt to preserve at least one cornerstone in a season defined by change.
Crosby made clear how much the decision meant to him, saying, “I just have a special connection with the fan base… I’ve been here for seven years, and they’ve been through it, just like I’ve been through it.”
His words resonated with a fanbase still searching for footing in another difficult year, as the Raiders sit at 2 and 7 and face a long climb back toward contention.
But even with that loyalty, the franchise is approaching a moment when sentimental value and competitive reality may no longer align. According to NFL analyst John Middlekauff, the 2026 offseason could force Las Vegas to confront a question it has avoided: whether holding on to Crosby actually serves the long-term vision of the franchise.
“Obviously, Crosby is an elite player. But I don’t think he has much value on a team that’s doing nothing because of the way the Raiders structure contracts. You can trade him this offseason. If you can trade Sauce Gardner for a couple [of] ones, if you can say Quinnen Williams for a two and a one, you can trade Max for a lot,” Middlekauff said.
“They just don’t have the talent. And I think they thought they were better than they were. Max is their quickest path toward resetting this thing… They are not good. And they just acknowledged it by trading Jakobi [Meyers], their best wide receiver. I just think they gotta pull the plug.”
A franchise player caught between loyalty, timeline and financial reality
Crosby is the emotional center of the Raiders, but his prime years may not match the arc of the team’s rebuild under general manager John Spytek and head coach Pete Carroll.
Las Vegas has intriguing young talent in rookie running back Ashton Jeanty and tight end Brock Bowers, and the team is widely expected to pursue a franchise quarterback in the 2026 draft. Even so, the roster remains far from competitive depth.
From a business standpoint, the numbers strengthen Middlekauff‘s argument. Crosby‘s cap hit is set to climb to $38.1 million in 2025, followed by $30 million guaranteed in 2026.
For a franchise needing draft picks, flexibility and foundational pieces, committing that much to a single player is a complicated choice.
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