The Las Vegas Raiders cannot escape Maxx Crosby trade rumors until they are a successful franchise again. Every year, the Raiders fail to meet expectations, and every year, like clockwork, the rumor mill about Crosby getting dealt starts to churn again.
But it feels a bit different this offseason. In reality, if Las Vegas were to trade its superstar defensive end for a mountain of picks, it would be at the onset of the 2026 offseason. Finally, the organization has admitted to itself that it needs to undergo an honest-to-goodness rebuild to turn things around.
Dianna Russini is reporting that Crosby wants to play for New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel. Jay Glazer is saying that the Raiders and Crosby are heading for a divorce, and that is Crosby's volition. But Las Vegas' young star, Ashton Jeanty, clearly wants Crosby to stick around.
Ashton Jeanty clearly wants Raiders to keep star DE Maxx Crosby
Jeanty appeared on the Up & Adams Show on Thursday, and host Kay Adams asked him about the swirling Maxx Crosby trade rumors. Of course, the rookie running back didn't take the bait, and after cracking a few jokes, he spoke about what Crosby means to him and the team.
"I don't know about that one. ... I'll give him as many boneless, free wings, 100,000, that's gotta be enough," Jeanty said in jest. "Nah, I couldn't (imagine him leaving). He's just a special player. I think he's a special person, too. The energy, the mindset that he brings. He was one of the first people to text me when I got drafted. I'll never forget what he told me. He said, 'Don't wait to lead.' That resonated with me."
Adams then asked Jeanty how big a loss it would be for the Raiders to trade Crosby away this offseason.
"He's the heart of the defense," Jeanty said. "Obviously, making plays for us, time after time. It would definitely, in my opinion, it would be a loss. ... He can't go. He's gotta stay. Maxx Crosby, don't go nowhere."
RELATED: Todd McShay ranked Fernando Mendoza compared to quarterbacks in past drafts
Trading Crosby is a bit of a double-edged sword for Las Vegas. On the one hand, if Crosby is unhappy, there is no reason to keep him in the building. His contract is extremely tradeable, especially if the front office restructures it, and paying someone nearly $36 million to be unhappy would not be smart.
At the same time, Crosby is one of the NFL's premier defenders, and with all the tools at their disposal to improve the roster this offseason and a promising new head coach coming to Las Vegas, the Raiders could turn things around quickly. Having Crosby around could be key to that success.
Crosby has toughed it out through some pretty dark times with the Silver and Black, but some light has clearly surfaced at the end of the tunnel here with Fernando Mendoza and Klint Kubiak soon joining the fold. If Crosby wants to stay, Las Vegas is likely to oblige.
If Crosby wants out, the Raiders are also likely to give in to his demands. Crosby has to ask himself if he wants to compete right now, or if he wants to be a bit more patient and reach a potentially more gratifying end with the franchise that it all started with for him.
Las Vegas needs to ask itself if it wants one of the NFL's best defenders, whose timeline doesn't necessarily match up with theirs, or if it wants a haul of draft picks and to fully hit the reset button. Regardless, it seems like Jeanty wants Crosby to stick around, and surely most of the team does, too.