Maxx Crosby knows what he wants, and is prepared to use his power to get it.
According to NFL Media, Crosby is prepared to request a trade this offseason if the Raiders do not hire Antonio Pierce as permanent head coach. Pierce served as Las Vegas' interim head coach after Josh McDaniels was dismissed this season, lighting a spark in the Raiders' locker room while finishing 5-4 in his nine games at the helm.
Crosby is one of the few legitimately game-altering defensive talents in the NFL, and is coming off his most prolific season. The five-year veteran finished the 2023 campaign with a career-high 14.5 sacks along with 90 total tackles. Through his first five seasons, Crosby has collected 52 sacks and 321 total tackles.
Raiders owner Mark Davis could decide, after evaluating how hard Las Vegas played for Pierce down the stretch, and combined with Crosby's trade request, decide to hire the 45-year-old Pierce.
However, if the Raiders move in a different direction and Crosby follows through on requesting a trade, he would be an immediate upgrade for the pass-rush situations of about 30 teams across the league.
If Crosby does wind up requesting a trade this offseason, these five teams are best positioned to pull off a blockbuster for the three-time Pro Bowler and two-time Second-Team All-Pro.
Washington Commanders
The Commanders are best positioned of any team in the league to compete for any veteran superstar this offseason, and have a glaring need that Crosby could fill. Washington enters the offseason with a league-high $86.9 million in cap space this offseason, while also owning the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Former Washington general manager Martin Mahew dealt away both Chase Young and Montez Sweat at the deadline, crating a major hole in the pass-rush department. Meanwhile, after hiring Adam Peters, who comes from the San Francisco 49ers who aggressively pursued just about every premier veteran in recent years, expect Washington to tackle this offseason aggressively. Crosby could be a centerpiece.
Chicago Bears
Bears general manager Ryan Poles jumped the edge rusher market at the trade deadline by dealing a second-round pick for Sweat, and there might not be better opportunity to create a dynamic pass-rush duo than adding Crosby on the opposite side of the defensive line.
Chicago is also uniquely positioned, owning two top-10 picks in April's draft to potentially offer the strongest package for Crosby. The Bears only managed 30 sacks, the second-fewest in the NFL, with Sweat accounting for 6.0 of them. Crosby is the type of player who can elevate the ceiling of a franchise, and with $62 million in cap space along with significant draft capital, the Bears have the ammunition to land him.
Detroit Lions
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Aidan Hutchinson has already developed into one of the game's most dominant pass-rushers, in just his second season, but pairing Crosby opposite the former No. 2 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft would form the foundation of one of the most dominant pass-rushes in the sport.
Landing with the Lions would be a homecoming for Crosby, a Lapeer, Michigan native and he is the type of player who can prop open the Lions' Super Bowl window. Detroit has over $61 million in cap space, plenty to absorb a Crosby contract extension, and there is no doubt that the 26-year-old would be a culture-fit on Dan Campbell's squad.
Los Angeles Rams
The Rams have managed to rebuild on the fly, built around mid-to-late-round picks exceeding their draft positioning but adding Crosby to Los Angeles' defense would go a long way towards mounting a legitimate challenge to the 49ers.
Rams general manager Les Snead has shown a propensity for trading away premium draft capital for premier players, and Crosby more than fits that bill. Los Angeles has a playoff caliber roster, and especially if Aaron Donald doesn't retire, there aren't many more potent defensive line duos in the league.
Tennessee Titans
It would seem unlikely that the Raiders would trade Crosby within the AFC, if they can avoid it, but the Titans are seemingly in the middle phases of a rebuild and Crosby is the type of player capable of jump-starting that process.
Only Washington has more cap space than the Titans' $77.5 million in spending flexibility in 2024, and slated to select No. 7 overall in the NFL Draft, general manager Ran Carthon has the resources to drop a legitimate game-wrecker into the Titans' defense while providing the Raiders draft capital to possibly move up for a quarterback or add a blue chip prospect.
