The Las Vegas Raiders have a lot to look forward to in 2026 with the impending arrival of a No. 1 overall pick as their new franchise quarterback in Fernando Mendoza. However, it'll take some legitimate NFL success for the Indiana national champion to eclipse Maxx Crosby as the true face of the franchise.
Not many moons ago, though, Crosby was on his way out of Las Vegas in a would-be trade to the Baltimore Ravens for two first-round picks. For better or worse, Baltimore balked at Crosby's medical records, and reneged on the deal.
Any lingering concerns about Crosby's commitment to Las Vegas could be put to bed based on his steadfast loyalty to the organization amid years of turbulence. A particular ex-Raiders executive who helped bring Crosby to the team in the first place doesn't believe that's changed in spite of the All-Pro's prior trade request.
Mike Mayock believes Maxx Crosby's is 'all-in' on Raiders despite failed Ravens trade
Mike Mayock presided over the tire fire that was Jon Gruden's second stint as Raiders head coach. Prior to the botched blockbuster trade that would've sent Crosby to Baltimore, Mayock had spoken at length with Crosby, and got a good read on the superstar's overall mindset.
Mayock discussed that chat he had with Crosby in his latest appearance The Rich Eisen Show. Although the Mayock-Crosby talk transpired prior to the failed trade, it was enough to give Mayock room to give some educated speculation on where Crosby's heat is at.
In dismissing the assertion that Crosby would go to upper management and demand a trade again, Mayock told Eisen point-blank, "I don't think that's him." And although the key bit of what Mayock said is indeed an inference rather than fact, it's rooted in a recent interaction with the man himself:
"He wants to make a decision and go. I'm guessing he's all-in on the Raiders right now, especially with the infrastructure put put in place around this offseason. I think with Kirk Cousins signing...it gives them some hope they can win some football games as a bridge with with Mendoza. I think they've done a lot of good things this offseason. I'm guessing Maxx is pretty excited about it."
Indeed, Cousins' presence provides Mendoza with a perfect mentor who could start and win games this coming season until the rookie is ready to take the reins. That'd be a welcome change-up to the poor quarterback play that's plagued the Silver and Black throughout Crosby's career.
Bringing up the dumpster fire Gruden-led Raiders of yesteryear was especially necessary in the context of the Mayock-Crosby dynamic. A brilliant feature on that unsavory period of Raiders history dropped recently by The Athletic's Zac Keefer painted Gruden as a power-hungry, allegedly omniscient football mind who thought he knew how best to build the roster.
One of many revelations in Keefer's story was as follows: Gruden would become disinterested by Day 3 of the draft once he was finished lighting the team's top picks on fire. That set the stage for Mayock and the rest of the personnel department to find strong value picks, highlighted by Crosby in Round 4 at 106th overall in 2021.
In other words, Mayock may be long gone from Las Vegas' front office, but he evidently still has a close relationship with Crosby. He would know as well as anyone what the 28-year-old veteran is thinking re: the Raiders in 2026 and beyond.
Crosby's latest in a long line of head coaches, Klint Kubiak, just dialed up plays for Sam Darnold and was instrumental in the Seattle Seahawks' Super Bowl run. This could finally mark the turning point where the Raiders are rowing in the right direction as a sustainable, winning operation.
All that said, it's easy to be optimistic this time of year, with someone like Mendoza and what should be a strong rookie class on the way. We'll see how Crosby feels if the losses keep piling up this year. He could very well be on the trade block next offseason if things go sideways in Year 1 of the Kubiak-Mendoza era.
At least for now, according to an in-the-know Mayock, Crosby is still ready to put his body, heart, and soul on the line for the Raiders once again. Time will tell if his faith is rewarded this for once.