It's hard to piece through every facet of the Las Vegas Raiders' current saga with superstar defensive end Maxx Crosby. Neither side has said anything definitive about the future, and yet, rumors have been spreading like wildfire in the week leading up to Super Bowl LX.
The two sides have been at odds since near the end of the 2025 NFL season, and general manager John Spytek didn't exactly commit to keeping Crosby in Las Vegas next year. By that same token, Crosby hasn't directly shut down the trade rumors, either. Nothing is certain or decided. Or clear.
Raider Nation is working with fragments of the story and trying to interpret things, and it is hard not to. The offseason is slow when your head coach hasn't yet been hired. But ESPN's Adam Schefter and NFL Network's Ian Rapoport each provided their own new wrinkle to the story that is unfolding.
Raiders reportedly want to keep Maxx Crosby, but he wants out, and the process will take time
Rapoport opened up Super Bowl Sunday by reporting that Crosby's meniscus tear will actually sideline him for 3-4 months, not just 4-6 weeks, as some expected. Crosby is apparently ahead of schedule with his rehab, of course, but that could push theoretical trade talks further down the road.
After clarifying his injury timeline, Rapoport indicated that no strain exists between Crosby and the Raiders. He also, however, entertained the idea of why Las Vegas could trade Crosby, even though he doesn't believe anything is imminent.
"Sources say Crosby and the team are in a great place, even with Crosby obviously frustrated with not being able to finish the season on the field after he was shut down for the final two games of the 2025 season," Rapoport wrote. "Trading Crosby for a draft haul would be a way to turn on the accelerator on a rebuild. Raiders owner Mark Davis thinks highly of Crosby and always has. One wonders if he would do right by one of his loyal soldiers with a trade to a potential contender. In fact, it may be best for all sides. But answers won't come immediately."
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Schefter then chimed in on Postseason NFL Countdown about where things stand between the Raiders and Crosby. He made it known that Las Vegas has no intention of trading its five-time Pro Bowl defensive end, even if Crosby may want a change of scenery.
"Maxx Crosby faces an uncertain future with the Raiders. Despite the speculation that he'll be traded, the Raiders have been adamant that they don't want to trade him," Schefter said. "And if they did, they would be looking for a Micah Parsons package of their own: A lot of draft picks. We'll see how this one unfolds. They're still going to want to try to convince Crosby to stay in Las Vegas. Don't know if that's possible, but the Raiders are not all that interested in moving off of him right now, despite how interested he is in being traded."
Now, it is a bit of a shock that the Raiders have no interest in trading Crosby. Obviously, Spytek extended Crosby very quickly upon taking the job in Las Vegas, but a lot has changed in a year, and Spytek made Crosby's contract very tradeable. Almost as if he planned ahead or covered himself.
After a week full of rumors about Crosby wanting out, the NFL's two biggest and most credible reporters finally weighed in with all the information that they have. Rapoport believes that the relationship between the two is fine. Schefter thinks the two sides want different things.
Clearly, it will take time for a resolution to be reached here, but the uncertainty is troubling for Raider Nation. Crosby pops up in trade rumors all the time, and yet, never has there been as much doubt about his future with the Silver and Black.