The Los Angeles Chargers may soon need to face a much more competitive race for the AFC West.
Of course, there's reason to be optimistic about their chances to pull out their first division title since 2009— especially given the room for regression the Denver Broncos have this season. But with a difficult schedule already in front of them— and a veritable gauntlet of matchups between Weeks 3 and 10— any improvement from either the Kansas City Chiefs or the Las Vegas Raiders could make an already steep path even more daunting.
The Chiefs, granted, are a separate issue here. There's too much room for volatility in their re-shaped secondary and their core of offensive playmakers to issue a true projection right now. If Patrick Mahomes comes out fully healthy and their signing of Kenneth Walker III pays off, who knows what they could be in 2026?
The Raiders, though, present a much more reasonably projectable roster. With their bevy of free-agent additions on defense and their pick-up of Fernando Mendoza at quarterback, Las Vegas could begin to approach respectability this season. For a team that's made the playoffs twice since 2002, that would be a major accomplishment.
But Las Vegas also faces the distinct possibility of another Maxx Crosby disaster in 2026, and that could take the whole thing off the rails before it even truly gets going.
Another Maxx Crosby fiasco could derail the Raiders' bid for respectability
With Klint Kubiak at the helm and Mendoza and Kirk Cousins at quarterback, the floor for the Raiders offense is immediately higher than it was with their doomed Pete Carroll/Geno Smith pairing. On defense, their additions of Nakobe Dean, Kwity Paye, and Quay Walker in free agency— plus their selections of Treydan Stukes and Jermod McCoy in the NFL Draft— have a chance to pay real dividends.
But as we near the end of a pretty wild offseason across the NFL, it's been easy to sweep one of its more memorable moments under the rug. Star edge rusher Maxx Crosby's relationship with the Raiders soured towards the end of last season. While there was never a formal trade request, reports indicated that Crosby wanted out of Las Vegas at the end of the regular season. The front office ultimately orchestrated a trade with the Baltimore Ravens, which fell through after a failed physical.
Crosby has publicly projected optimism about his return to Las Vegas.
But common sense can tell you that, if the issues that caused his frustrations in the first place aren't fixed, Crosby could soon be demanding his way out again. Gary Davenport at Bleacher Report, for example, predicted Crosby to be among the next wave of stars to request a trade in 2026.
Crosby is entering his age-29 season, and the Raiders have not truly been competitive during the entirety of his tenure there. If things go poorly under Cousins to start the season and Mendoza doesn't show signs of immediately improving the offense, Las Vegas and Crosby could be left in the same situation.
Even if the Raiders are able to find some semblance of respectability on defense this season, losing your star playmaker to a trade request mid-way through the season is a sure-fire recipe for disaster.
Expect the Raiders to finish closer to five or six wins this season. But any bid for true respectability, or competitiveness on a week-to-week basis, could quickly be derailed by another Crosby fiasco.
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