The Las Vegas Raiders have struggled to find their footing in a brutal AFC West and an even more lethal AFC landscape over the last two or so decades for one simple reason: They have never decided to be all-in or all-out. Every offseason, they hover somewhere in the middle.
Winning is a great thing in the NFL. In fact, it is really the only thing that matters. But losing can also be franchise-altering, in a good way, if a team approaches it correctly and uses that bottoming-out period to rebuild the roster and set the right gears in motion for the future of the organization.
That is where the Raiders are right now. After years of putting Band-Aids on the most important position in the sport and always trying to retain a semblance of competitiveness in honor of the great Al Davis' mantra of "Just Win Baby," Las Vegas was dreadfully awful during the 2025 NFL season.
With the No. 1 pick in hand, a young, new coach coming in, and seemingly endless resources in their back pocket to improve the roster, the Raiders are in a full-blown rebuild. Trading Maxx Crosby may even be part of that process. But trading him for Joe Burrow would be like losing the plot entirely.
Raiders should hang up immediately if Bengals call with this Burrow-Crosby trade idea
Given the newest crop of Crosby trade rumors, fans and writers from teams all around the league are trying to figure out a way to get the superstar defensive end on their roster. And, in fairness to those thinkers, Las Vegas trading Crosby this offseason is a distinct possibility, more so than in the past.
But Stripe Hype's Matt Fitzgerald proposed a blockbuster of all blockbuster trades revolving around Crosby and Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow. For a Raiders team that is in dire need of tearing it down before they build it back up again, this trade idea wouldn't be the best course of action.
"Bengals receive: DE Maxx Crosby, 2026 No. 1 overall pick, two additional 1st-round picks, two 2nd-round picks & three 3rd-round picks
Raiders receive: QB Joe Burrow"
Now, the idea of Burrow is enticing, as Las Vegas has been in quarterback purgatory for as long as fans can remember. He is certainly one of the best in the league when healthy, but that's the thing: Burrow isn't always healthy. He's had three major injuries and missed 16 games in the last two years.
On top of that, the Raiders would be giving up way, way, way too much for Burrow. If he is as valuable as this trade package would indicate that the Bengals think he is, then why would Cincinnati deal Burrow in the first place? So they can select Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 pick to replace him?
Why wouldn't Las Vegas just do that and keep both Crosby and the picks?
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Trading away Crosby, as we've said, is fully on the table. But dealing your superstar edge rusher for a mountain of picks is the start of the rebuild. A move of that magnitude would be the Raiders admitting that they're not in a window to contend and going all-in on building things from the ground up.
So bringing in a win-now quarterback like Burrow, who will turn 30 years old next season, and dishing away eight Day 1 and Day 2 picks, doesn't make a lot of sense. That would put the Raiders in a Super Bowl window with a team that, especially after dealing Crosby, wouldn't be remotely ready to contend.
Giving up eight premier draft picks like this would also be careless. Nevermind the fact that general manager John Spytek has repeatedly said how much he loves his picks, but the Raiders would also have no Day 1 or Day 2 selections for two years, and no first or third-rounders in the third year.
It is hard to imagine any NFL general manager signing up for that, let alone one like Spytek, who clearly understands the importance of having more darts to throw at the board in April and building this team through the draft.
If the Raiders give up Crosby, they should receive two first-round picks in return, or perhaps more. At least something of equal or greater value. But giving Crosby up and losing first-round picks, and more, for three years is just a reckless gamble that Las Vegas would have no business partaking in.
Could a trade for Burrow be in play? Sure, in some world. But that doesn't feel likely with Mendoza in the Raiders' crosshairs. Could trading away Crosby be in the cards? Absolutely. But these two things don't have to coexist, especially in the way outlined above.
The Raiders need to get smart this offseason and, for the first time in forever, take part in a full-fledged rebuild. Trading draft picks for Burrow would open a Super Bowl window. Trading Crosby would be admitting they're in a rebuild.
But those two things can't happen at the same time. They're mutually exclusive. For those reasons, Las Vegas dishing Crosby and the most unbelievable haul of picks that the NFL has ever seen for Burrow simply wouldn't make any sense.
Stick to the plan, please, John Spytek and Tom Brady. We lost too much this past season to do anything other than draft a rookie quarterback and hit the reset button. Don't let the dedication to losing out be all for naught.