It is not every day that a team trades away its superstar defensive end. And it is certainly not every day that a team agrees to trade away said player and ends up being forced to take them back just days later. But such was the case with the Las Vegas Raiders and perennial Pro Bowler Maxx Crosby.
As fans are well aware of now, Crosby has since re-upped his commitment to the Silver and Black. And, although they operated shadily, it is not difficult to imagine that the Baltimore Ravens' concerns may have lowered Crosby's trade value, providing John Spytek and Co. with no incentive to move him.
But this is the NFL, and if the Crosby trade fiasco has taught Raider Nation anything, it is to expect the unexpected. For now, however, it seems like Crosby is back where he belongs, repping The Shield, and Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer has several reasons that he believes it should stay that way.
At least for now.
Albert Breer had a laundry list of reasons for Maxx Crosby to stay in LV
Breer began his recent piece by stating that he believes Crosby will be a Raider in 2026, but that not everyone seemingly feels that way. So he took the opportunity to outline five specific reasons that he thinks the pairing still makes sense, at least for right now.
"1. Crosby is fiercely protective of his Raider legacy and didn’t really want to leave in the first place. The dustup over his knee, which we’ve chronicled over the past few months, led to broken trust and the door opening on his departure. But Crosby’s always loyal to the Davis family and the Raiders, to the point where at the beginning of this, he told them he wanted a trade that would benefit them, too.
"2. The guys running the day-to-day football operation, GM John Spytek and new coach Klint Kubiak, had nothing to do with breaking the trust, but they were integral to rebuilding it. As the agreement with the Ravens was falling through, Spytek and Kubiak reached out to Crosby and showed that they had his back, even as all hell was breaking loose for the team. My sense is that it was very much appreciated.
"3. The Ravens’ decision to back out cratered Crosby’s trade value. Imagine being a GM who’s interested in Crosby. Your owner saw that Baltimore failed him on the physical, so can you take the risk of trading for him, knowing that if the knee’s a problem this year or next, then that’s on you? The optics of the situation changed completely, materially diminishing what Vegas could get for him.
"4. The Raiders might not be good next year, but Kubiak still has to build a program, and now has the ultimate flagbearer for his program. Getting an all-in Crosby should be a big asset as the new staff tries to set a high standard. And interestingly enough, this might have been the only way to get that, since Crosby already had a foot out the door when Kubiak was hired.
"5. If there’s a window to trade Crosby, it’s probably closer to the trade deadline. As we’ve established, it wouldn’t make sense for Vegas to sell low here. But if Crosby plays well, and the Raiders are struggling through a rebuild in late October, then all of this can be revisited. It’s not like there wouldn’t be a market then, if things play out that way."
Okay, apologies for how long that was, but Breer made some incredibly compelling points. Starting with his first assertion, it always seemed like Spytek and Kubiak truly wanted Crosby in the building, so his being dealt was a product of a trade request, which he has seemingly now rescinded.
RELATED:Â Jackson Powers-Johnson described Maxx Crosby's return to Raiders perfectly
If Spytek and Kubiak also quickly rebuilt the trust with Crosby, then fans shouldn't worry about anything being tense in the building. And between what he said on The Rush Podcast and what Jackson Powers-Johnson said, it sounds like Crosby is ingratiated again, and there's no hard feelings.
Breer also echoed the sentiment that Crosby's trade value has diminished a bit, and the only way he can recoup some of that is by showing that his knee is fine during real football games. That would almost preclude a trade from happening during the NFL Draft or another point in the offseason.
And it is nice to hear that Breer sees the vision being implemented in Las Vegas. Hopefully, Crosby also sees it, because for the first time in a long time, the Raiders actually have one, and that is perhaps the most important thing for a rebuilding franchise.
In terms of Crosby being traded down the road, we will cross that bridge if and when we come to it. But Breer outlines quite a set of reasons for keeping Crosby in his piece, at least for right now, and it is hard not to get on board with what he's saying.