The Las Vegas Raiders‘ brass is in Indianapolis for the NFL Scouting Combine, so naturally, the Maxx Crosby topic is going to come up. He has been the subject of trade rumors for years, but they have only heated up more in recent weeks.
The Raiders are rebuilding, so it could make sense to trade a pass rusher who will be 29 when the season starts. At the same time, he’s easily the best defensive player on the roster and an important leader for the franchise.
General manager John Spytek is only in his second year in the role, but he has shown a willingness to make trades. However, he doesn’t sound interested in the idea of trading Crosby.
Spytek spoke to the media at the Combine and shed light on where he expects Crosby to play in 2026.
“I do,” Spytek said when asked if he expects Crosby to be with the Raiders this season during a Tuesday press conference.
Now, that doesn’t guarantee that Crosby will be in Las Vegas next season, but it is notable that Spytek didn’t dodge the question. He could’ve easily deflected. What that likely means is that Crosby hasn’t directly requested a trade yet, and if he never does, it’s hard to imagine the Raiders will actually trade him.
Spytek Offers Praise for Crosby
Spytek is likely getting a fresh start with Raiders ownership. Last year didn’t go according to plan, but they seem to put most of the blame on Pete Carroll for that.
That said, Spytek likely does feel some pressure to see some improvement in the team in 2026. Trading Crosby could make the Raiders better in the long run, but it certainly makes them worse in the short term. Spytek had some high praise for Crosby.
“Maxx is an elite player, and I’ve been very upfront from the start when I got here that we’re in the business of having really good players on the team, and we need a lot more of them,” Spytek said. “And it’s hard to build a great team without elite players.”
Spytek Addresses Relationship With Crosby
Crosby was clearly unhappy with the Raiders’ decision to place him on Injured Reserve with two games left in the season. Though he was hurt, he wanted to finish out the year before getting surgery.
Carroll is no longer with the team, so Spytek was likely the main shot caller on that decision. However, according to Spytek, he still has a strong relationship with the pass rusher.
“Maxx and I have a great relationship,” Spytek said. “He’s in the building every day getting healthy right now. We talk on the phone, we text.”
The Raiders are in a solid position here. Either they keep Crosby and get an elite defensive player, or they trade him and get multiple draft picks. It sounds like the Raiders would rather keep him, but a first-round pick or two would help soften the blow. The Combine is just starting up, but Spytek should start to become a popular figure in the coming days.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Raiders GM John Spytek Has Two Word Response to Maxx Crosby Trade Rumors appeared first on Heavy Sports.