Dec 14, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby (98) in the tunnel against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images Eric Hartline
One of the great parts when you write about a team with an aggressive general manager is any time a star becomes available, it's fair to wonder if they could be a fit.
In this case, Jay Glazer of FOX Sports provides insight on a superstar that could become available in the offseason, one Howie Roseman and the Eagles almost certainly would be interested in:
Scoopage: Raiders told Maxx Crosby they want to shut him down last two games. Crosby, who has played with injuries for much of the year, vehemently disagreed and has left the building @nflonfox has learned. This could lead to questions on his future in Vegas
Crosby had a sack against Jalen Hurts and the Eagles two weeks ago, but it didn't stop his Raiders from getting embarrassed in a 31-0 loss. Add in a loss to the Houston Texans this past Sunday, and the Raiders are a miserable 2-13.
However, that doesn't mean Las Vegas doesn't have an important game coming up. In fact, with many of the playoff spots already accounted for, the Raiders hosting the 2-13 New York Giants at Allegiant Stadium is one of the more interesting games on this Sunday's slate, because there's a good chance that the losing team will wind up with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Earlier this week, Crosby bristled at the notion that he would be worried about the Raiders getting the top selection in the draft, as opposed to just trying to win Sunday:
@MySportsUpdate Maxx Crosby asked about the No. 1 pick, via @VegasSportsTD pic.twitter.com/p1P1SkSfDd
It is interesting that the Raiders waited until this late in the week to inform Crosby that they intend to shut him down for the final two games. Ian Rapoport of NFL Media — which, it should be noted, is partially owned by the Raiders — said that a knee injury Crosby has "been battling since October" is why the Raiders chose to shut him down. Rapoport added that "LV made the decision with Crosby’s best interest in mind, though the Pro Bowler has been fighting to play and wants to play."
Sure they did.
The Raiders are having Crosby sit out because he's one of two impact players on their team that could prevent them from securing the No. 1 overall pick by getting a key sack or fumble. The other is star tight end Brock Bowers, who the Raiders did place on injured reserve earlier this week with a bum left knee that it probably doesn't make sense to have him play through at this stage. We can debate whether it's smart for the Raiders' long-term aspirations to shut Crosby down or not, but he clearly is healthier than Bowers.
It may be that this is the breaking point for Crosby, who has chosen to remain loyal to the Raiders for seven seasons. He's got 10 sacks this year, marking the fourth double-digit sack season of his career. He's headed to the Pro Bowl for the fifth season in a row. And yet, he's played in just one playoff game, a 26-19 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in the Wild Card Round in January of 2022. The Raiders now seem to be at as low of a point as they've been during Crosby's career, which is saying something. He's going to be 29 years old before next season, and both he and the Raiders may just decide it's best to find an amicable solution in the offseason that allows Crosby to go to a contender and the Raiders to accumulate a treasure trove of picks.
Last offseason, Myles Garrett publicly asked to be traded by the Cleveland Browns. We speculated at that time what a trade package might look like from the Eagles, but Cleveland refused to trade the former No. 1 overall pick. He accepted a mega extension because that really seemed to be his only option considering he wasn't close to free agency. With 22 sacks, Garrett is just one sack away from setting a new NFL record this season. But he's done so for a 3-12 Browns team, so it's still fair to wonder if Cleveland should have taken him up on his offer.
Crosby isn't Garrett or Micah Parsons — no one is. But Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports reported prior to the trade deadline in October that "two high-ranking personnel sources tell me Roseman would give up a significant bounty if the Browns were to make Myles Garrett available." If that's the case, maybe the same will be true this offseason should the Raiders actually make Crosby available.
