Maxx Crosby has been among the NFL's elite defensive ends throughout his time with the Las Vegas Raiders. But after the public humiliation he went through after the Baltimore Ravens backed out of their blockbuster trade for him, Raider Nation expects Crosby to be at a different level this season.
Although still battling back from his injury that opened up this can of worms in the first place, Crosby is close to returning, and he should be more than ready to reclaim his spot on the mantle as Las Vegas' best defender. And he finally has a supporting cast who can make life much easier on him.
But not everybody is hopping on the Crosby hype train ahead of the 2026 NFL season. In fact, one analyst outlined quite an unlikely scenario for him in his latest bold predictions piece. At least there are two obvious silver linings in said situation.
Bold Maxx Crosby prediction wouldn't be all bad for the Las Vegas Raiders
Sports Illustrated's Conor Orr recently made several bold predictions for the 2026 NFL season, and the Silver and Black were well-represented. His projection for Ashton Jeanty was a complete buzzkill, but at least his take on Crosby comes with a pretty decent bright side.
"Maxx Crosby will not be leading the Raiders in sacks at the trade deadline.
"The days and weeks leading up to the trade deadline provide the next most logical time for the Raiders to attempt to revisit the failed move to ship Crosby to the Ravens. Crosby will be the Raiders’ top-graded run defender and lead the team in pressures, but Kwity Paye will have six sacks to Crosby’s 4.5."
First, let's look at the obvious downside: Crosby only having 4.5 sacks through eight weeks and not being the leader in the clubhouse would be an underperformance for the $35.8 million he's due this season, and perhaps an indication that he hasn't recovered cleanly or quickly from his knee injury.
Sometimes, though, players need a bit of a runway, even after a lengthy recovery process, to regain their momentum. So let's look at the bright side: Paye balling out alongside Crosby can only mean good things, and Crosby not dominating means he'd be an unlikely trade deadline target.
Paye was signed to a three-year, $48 million deal this offseason, which much of the fanbase felt was an overpay. After recording just 4.5 sacks last season with the Indianapolis Colts, though, a jump from Paye would be a welcome thing for a Raiders defense that needs a Crosby complement.
After the Los Angeles Rams traded with the Cleveland Browns for Myles Garrett, too, folks started to wonder whether the Raiders would get calls from other NFC teams looking to make a counter move. The San Francisco 49ers are an obvious landing spot, and they are already being floated.
4.5 sacks in eight games isn't likely to get other teams excited, though, nor would any potential low-ball packages as a result of that production likely strike John Spytek's fancy. Plus, those around the league may worry about the long-term effects of the reported degenerative issue in Crosby's knee.
Getting out to a slow start doesn't mean that Crosby won't have an effective campaign and be a net positive for Las Vegas. Struggling to put up high sack numbers out of the gates also doesn't mean that Crosby's knee is done for, as there are plenty of other ways to impact the game.
So, while the situation that Orr painted is still quite unlikely, it isn't exactly a disaster if it comes true. But this was a bold prediction for a reason, so expect Crosby to come out swinging in 2026 and for the trade deadline rumors to run rampant. It's just a part of life for him and Raider Nation now.
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