Raiders edge rusher Maxx Crosby will likely have his name in trade rumors for most of this offseason. Crosby's 2025 season was ended by the Raiders for medical reasons as it turned out he required a meniscus surgery.
Reportedly, Crosby was adamant that he could have played in the team's remaining games. It will be the responsibility of the Raiders front office and new HC Klint Kubiak to convince their star pass rusher to stay amidst the drama.
If they're unable to get Crosby to want to stay, Raiders minority owner Tom Brady and GM John Spytek will likely probe the trade market. Interestingly, the Chargers were pitched as a team that could be in the market for Crosby in a trade. The idea came from ESPN's Seth Walder in a recent article:
- Raiders get:Â 2026 second-round pick (No. 55 overall), 2026 sixth-round pick, 2027 fifth-round pick
- Chargers get: EDGE Maxx Crosby
Could the Chargers really trade for Maxx Crosby?
Walder wrote that the deal makes sense for the Raiders who get off of Crosby's salary and could use the draft capital for their rebuild. A second-round pick plus two day three selections isn't far off from what the Chargers traded for then Bears EDGE Khalil Mack in 2022. The Chargers traded a second and a sixth-round pick for Mack in that deal.
For the Chargers, Walder notes that Odafe Oweh and Mack are free agents. Instead of waiting to see what happens on those fronts, the Chargers take advantage of this Crosby trade. However, it's worth noting that Crosby would need a contract extension. Crosby's deal runs out in 2026. The three extra seasons on his deal from 2027-29 are strictly void years. Any team that trades for Crosby will likely have to give him new money.
Ultimately, it's hard to see either party coming to terms on this agreement. The Raiders giving an EDGE like Crosby to a division rival doesn't make sense to me, even in a rebuild scenario. For the Chargers, keeping their draft capital and re-signing Oweh is the move. Perhaps this becomes a more tangible option if the Chargers somehow let both Mack and Oweh walk. But that seems rather unlikely at the moment.
The pick compensation is probably fairly accurate based on previous EDGE trades of stars who were approaching 30 (like the aforementioned 2022 Mack trade). But outside of that, it's hard to see the Chargers or Raiders coming to an agreement like this.
The priority for the Chargers needs to be keeping their draft capital in addition to retaining Oweh and Mack.