Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby has found his name tossed around in recent trade speculation with the NFL trade deadline looming, and the timing is incredibly odd given that Crosby just signed a three-year extension during the offseason.
Nevertheless, there has been chatter that Crosby could be on the move, and whether or not there is actually anything behind it is anyone’s guess.
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Crosby was asked about the conjecture while at his locker on Thursday, and the superstar pass rusher offered a brief, cryptic response.
“I plead the fifth,” Crosby said, via Paul Gutierrez of the Raiders’ team website. Gutierrez added that Crosby had a “sly smile crossing his face” while answering. Does that mean he knows something? Or is he just having some fun with the reporters?
Regardless, Crosby is now under contract with Las Vegas through 2029 after inking his new pact back in March. That doesn’t necessarily mean that the four-time Pro Bowler is exempt from being traded, but it would certainly be a jarring move on the part of the Raiders.
Then again, Las Vegas is just 2-5 in Pete Carroll’s debut campaign at the helm. Nothing has gone right for the Raiders this season, and it’s looking more and more like the team’s decision to trade for — and then extend — Geno Smith was a major mistake. So perhaps Las Vegas is now changing its thinking moving forward?
Crosby has been one of the few Raiders players who have been effective this year, having logged 28 tackles, four sacks, an interception and five passes defended through seven games. But it has to be difficult for the 28-year-old to continue playing for a franchise that can’t seem to get out of its own way.
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The Raiders selected Crosby in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft and watched as he racked up 10 sacks during his rookie campaign. The Eastern Michigan product has posted three double-digit sack seasons, topping out at 14.5 in 2023.
Crosby’s name briefly surfaced in trade speculation midway through 2024, but that seemed more just general conjecture rather than anything concrete. Things seem a bit more serious this time around.
Whether or not Las Vegas actually completes a trade remains to be seen, though.
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