If the Las Vegas Raiders ever decide to put Maxx Crosby on the trade market next offseason, it wouldn’t just be a roster move — it would reshape the pass-rush landscape across the NFL. The five-time Pro Bowler finished the year with 10 sacks, two forced fumbles, one interception and 73 combined tackles in 15 games before landing on season-ending injured reserve due to a lingering knee issue.
The situation got louder when FOX Sports insider Jay Glazer reported Crosby “vehemently disagreed” with the team’s plan to shut him down for the final two games — and left the facility after being told he wouldn’t play. With drama comes speculation, and San Francisco always lands near the top of the list because the fit is both obvious and terrifying.
Why San Francisco gets linked to Crosby
Put simply: Crosby + Nick Bosa is the kind of pairing that turns pass protection into panic. Crosby’s motor and physicality complement Bosa’s power and technique, and together they would create the sort of relentless two-edge pressure that can decide playoff games without requiring heavy blitzing.
The 49ers’ defensive identity has long been built on four-man pressure and forcing quarterbacks to play fast. Crosby fits that blueprint perfectly. He doesn’t need schematic help to win. He wins with effort, counters, and relentless strain — the exact traits that translate when the postseason slows down and every rep becomes a fight.
The biggest roadblocks: Raiders control and the price tag
Here’s the hard reality: the Raiders aren’t required to entertain anything. Crosby signed a three-year, $106.5 million extension in March 2025 (reported with $91.5 million guaranteed) that keeps him under contract through 2029. That kind of deal usually means only one thing in trade talks — the compensation starts expensive and goes up from there, especially for a premier edge rusher in his prime.
For San Francisco, that “expensive” isn’t just picks — it’s ripple effects. The 49ers live in a world of constant cap planning and core maintenance, and any major swing has to fit a larger chessboard. This is where the front-office framing mirrors the Packers logic: you’re not just buying a player, you’re buying the consequences.
So even if the 49ers love the football fit, the deal only gets real if the numbers, the timing, and the Raiders’ demands line up at the same time — which is rare.
The postseason factor that could change everything
This is where January becomes the deciding argument. If San Francisco falls short and the takeaway is “we needed more heat on the quarterback,” Crosby suddenly looks like the cleanest solution in football. If they don’t believe an edge rusher will be available to them in the draft at the right slot, a trade becomes more realistic.
But if the defense performs at a championship level and the season ends for reasons unrelated to pressure, the urgency fades. And without urgency, the Raiders’ asking price becomes a deal-killer.
Raiders Predicted to Make Head Coaching Hire That Could Irk NFL
Hiring Flores Could Stick It to the NFL
Flores Would Be Risky Hire
There’s no denying that Flores is at least a good head coach and an elite defensive coordinator. He had the Miami Dolphins heading in the right direction before he was surprisingly fired.
However, the Raiders tried to embrace the Patriot Way when they hired Josh McDaniels, and that was an unmitigated disaster. Flores is different, as he has proven that he can be successful as a head coach, but he definitely has some of the same personality traits that have led to Bill Belichick disciples struggling to lead teams.
The upside with Flores is huge. He’s a defensive genius and still young, but there’s also a chance he could alienate the entire team the way McDaniels did.
