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Las Vegas Raiders DE Maxx Crosby.
The Las Vegas Raiders are heading for a rebuild regardless of who ends up as the next head coach. It’s looking like the team is going to hire a young, offensive-minded head coach, which would likely mean a more methodical rebuild.
That puts Maxx Crosby’s future into question. He’s the best player on the roster, but he’s getting older. He wants to be part of a winner, but it might be two or three before the Raiders even have a chance at the playoffs.
That could lead to Crosby requesting a trade this offseason. There has been a lot of talk of contenders trading for him, but a former player floated a new team as a fit.
Former New Orleans Saints All-Pro offensive tackle really wants to see his former team sell the farm to add Crosby.
“Maxx Crosby is a monster,” Armstead said on “The Set” podcast. “If you get an opportunity to bring him to your franchise, he is a game-changer. And this is from experience. This is from studying this man and watching week after week him make plays. It looks like one vs. 11. It’s a no-brainer to me.
“You keep these draft picks all you want. Cool. And then you can do a lot of great things with draft picks, but when you got a quarterback on his rookie deal, and that’s the same situation, you have money to spend. And there’s no better time than right now … We trade for Maxx Crosby, we’re about to go win.”
Would Crosby Want to Go to Saints?
If Crosby’s going to get traded, he’s going to want to go to a winner. The Saints haven’t been to the playoffs since 2020. Now, they did show some signs of life under Kellen Moore.
They finished 6-11 in 2025, and quarterback Tyler Shough is a promising young player. The Saints could be one good offseason away from being playoff contenders in the NFL’s weakest division.
That said, Crosby likely doesn’t want to risk going to a team that hasn’t been in the playoffs. The Raiders are going to do right by him if he gets traded, and should allow him to at least have some say in where he goes. The Saints aren’t the worst landing spot, but they would almost certainly be lower on his list of teams he’d want to play for.
Crosby Hasn’t Requested a Trade
It’s difficult to see the Raiders actually trading Crosby unless he directly asks for one. It remains to be seen if he’ll be willing to take that step.
Crosby is the face of the franchise and looms large in the Las Vegas community. It’s a big move to have to uproot his life and play for a new franchise. Crosby hasn’t addressed the trade speculation, so it’s unclear where his head is at.
He might be waiting to see what the Raiders do at head coach this offseason. If they hire a coach he likes, it’s easy to see the two sides being able to smooth things over. For now, the trade speculation will continue.
