The future of the Las Vegas Raiders' seven-year relationship with Maxx Crosby remains up in the air. Trade rumors have been abundant, as the five-time Pro Bowler is reportedly unhappy in Las Vegas, and reports are mixed on whether or not the Raiders will want to trade him.
While he has not directly addressed the chatter, it is clear that there is work to be done to mend the relationship between the two sides. Of course, it was widely reported that Crosby was not happy with the Raiders' decision to shut him down for the final two games, and he acknowledged that.
Obviously, the constant turnover at head coach and general manager during his tenure is another issue, while the latest batch of rumors suggests that he is not a fan of the influence that Alex Guerrero, Tom Brady's business partner, has in the organization.
All of those issues have been heavily covered, but NFL Network's Tom Pelissero shared another caveat that may be contributing to Crosby's reported discontent.
Another factor contributing to Maxx Crosby's ongoing Raiders drama
Crosby has been the heart and soul of the Raiders' defense since he arrived in 2019. While the roster and organization as a whole have gone through plenty of changes, he has continued to produce at an elite level regardless of the talent around him, and he's been a staple in tumultuous times.
Those roster changes, however, may be an issue that has contributed to Crosby's unhappiness, if you believe the comments that NFL Network's Tom Pelissero made during his recent appearance on The Rich Eisen Show.
"When you think back through all the players that have come and gone from that place over the time that Maxx Crosby has been there, he's like the lone wolf still standing," Pelissero said. "All the players that Maxx was there with, I talked to (Jon) Gruden about this recently. He was going down the list of players that they had in his last year (in Las Vegas). You had like a dozen legit players on that team, and every one of them is gone. You can imagine it's the Will Smith Fresh Prince (of Bel Air) GIF of him looking around at the empty room. Maxx, at some point, it's like, not only do I not recognize the guys around me, I don't recognize the guys that came before the guys around me. That's how many times this thing has turned over."
Kubiak will be the sixth head coach that the Raiders have employed in as many seasons. Meanwhile, John Spytek is the fifth general manager that Las Vegas has had since Crosby was drafted back in 2019.
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Naturally, that has led to plenty of roster turnover, as Kolton Miller, AJ Cole, and impending free agent Daniel Carlson are the only players who remain on the roster from his rookie season, the final campaign in Oakland.
While the constant changes make it difficult to build sustained success, it is easy to see why Las Vegas moved on from coaches and general managers. Unfortunately, it appears that those decisions, no matter how warranted they may be, have taken a toll on their two-time All-Pro.
Of course, despite plenty of speculation that he will ask out, Crosby has yet to explicitly ask for a trade. If you believe Rich Gannon, the Raiders' former quarterback and 2002 NFL MVP, Crosby doesn't want out.
But this situation remains one that Raider Nation will be monitoring as it drags out over the next few weeks. The franchise is finally looking to be trending in the right direction; however, it is ultimately up to the pass rusher to decide what is best for his future. If he wants out, then let him go.