Last week, Jay Glazer of Fox made it clear that Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby is done with the Raiders.
When we ran what Glazer said by someone with knowledge of Crosby’s thinking, the answer was, “Draw your own conclusions.” (Crosby himself opted to add nothing to the noise.)
Now, Jason LaCanfora of SportsBoom.com has added a new wrinkle to what will become one of the biggest stories of the offseason. LaCanfora, quoting an unnamed General Manager, reports that Crosby has directly communicated his wishes to a certain high-profile Raiders minority owner.
“He told Tom Brady he will never play for the Raiders again,” the unnamed G.M. said. “That’s a fact. He told them he’ll retire before he ever plays for them again. But I’m not sure they’re actually going to trade him. Myles Garrett said the same thing last year, and we know how that ended up.”
Garrett went public during Super Bowl week with his request to be traded. The Browns, as they tend to do, threw money at the problem.
That may not work on Crosby. For him, the final straw wasn’t another season of losing. It was the decision to put him on injured reserve for the final two games of the regular season, preventing him from playing the game he loves to play — and that he takes immense pride in playing even if not fully healthy.
The Raiders, who also shut down tight end Brock Bowers for the last two games, seemed to be intent on earning the first overall pick in the 2026 draft. And they did. Even if the price could end up being the loss of a cornerstone player.
