With the Las Vegas Raiders finally agreeing to trade star wide receiver Davante Adams to the New York Jets, some have wondered whether the franchise might go for a full rebuild and look to deal star defensive end Maxx Crosby as well. But owner Mark Davis is having none of that talk.
The idea makes sense and is something that many teams do, getting as much draft compensation as possible and preferring to rebuild from the ground up. Crosby, one of the best defensive players in football, would undoubtedly net a massive trade haul, but Davis made it clear the Raiders aren’t interested.
When Davis was asked about potentially trading Crosby, the Raiders owner said it is not happening while adding any speculation isn’t coming from anywhere credible, via Vic Tafur and Tashan Reed of The Athletic:
“It’s unfortunate today, but there’s so much outside chatter that is not true,” Davis said. “It’s not coming from any [legitimate] sources. It’s not coming from anything. My basic thing is never to answer all that stuff because, otherwise, you get trapped in this black hole. It’s just not happening.”
Maxx Crosby is the unquestioned leader of this Raiders team and has been extremely outspoken about wanting to remain with this franchise for the entirety of his career. Even when rebuilding, having a pillar like Crosby is extremely important, as he sets the tone and example for any player who walks through those doors and keeps everyone in line.
Davis sounds adamant that Crosby isn’t going anywhere, and it’s hard to picture the Raiders wanting to move him right now. Though considering the franchise also spoke out against Adams trade rumors this offseason, it might be a bit tough to fully take Davis’ words as gospel. The team parting ways with superstar Khalil Mack back in 2018 also doesn’t inspire much confidence in this team’s ability to keep its players happy.
Crosby remains signed through 2026 and even got a $6 million raise for the 2024 season, which shows how highly the Raiders view him. Hopefully, things don’t get to a point where Crosby has to cut ties with the franchise, as that would be such a blow on all sides.
Maxx Crosby Explains Shove of Raiders Assistant Mike Caldwell
Something else that likely added to the idea that Maxx Crosby was getting frustrated with the Raiders situation was an incident caught on camera during the team’s Week 6 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Crosby was seen shoving assistant Mike Caldwell, making many feel his anger was beginning to spill out.
But the Raiders star would clarify the situation, calling it a ‘love push’ and saying that the two shove each other all the time. Crosby added that he and Caldwell have a great relationship and simply people blowing things out of proportion.
