The Las Vegas Raiders embark on the 2026 regular season on Sunday when they host the Miami Dolphins at Allegiant Stadium. When they do, they'll have their star pass rusher Maxx Crosby screaming off the edge in hopes of helping lift them to a 1-0 start. However, there was a time this offseason when it didn't seem like No. 98 would be donning the silver and black for this opener.
In fact, he was technically traded. In early March, Las Vegas agreed in principle to ship Crosby to the Baltimore Ravens in exchange for multiple first-round draft picks. Mere days later, the jaw-dropping development occurred: Baltimore backed out of the deal, citing that Crosby failed his physical.
The team was reportedly not comfortable with his surgically repaired knee. While that was the end of the trade discussions with the Ravens, the Los Angeles Rams briefly discussed acquiring Crosby after the blockbuster fell through, according to NFL Network. Other teams were also interested in Crosby after the Ravens deal fell through, but L.A. was reportedly the strongest club pushing for a deal.
However, before talks with any club progressed further, the NFL Network reports that Crosby made it clear he did not want to be traded. He wanted to remain with the Raiders and told the organization as such. Crosby notably even declared his loyalty to the Raiders in a social media post following the Ravens' non-trade, saying, "Everything Happens For A Reason.
Believe Nothing You Hear & Half Of What You See. Run That S***." Everything Happens For A Reason. Run That Sh*t. 🦅🏴☠️ pic.twitter.com/8IZXiDYMio This offseason, there were a slew of teams looking to acquire Crosby, but this report notes that none of the offers came close, as other organizations were trying to get him for "pennies on the dollar," a source told NFL Network.
The report adds that the Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Cowboys, and San Francisco 49ers were among the teams monitoring Crosby's situation and interested. After Crosby made it clear that he wanted to remain with the team, however, the trade discussions stopped in earnest. Meanwhile, he's also said to have no issues with the franchise and is starting the year in good health.
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