Maxx Crosby didn’t say a word, but the message was hard to miss. After the Las Vegas Raiders confirmed the star pass rusher was shut down with a knee injury, Crosby posted Instagram videos of himself playing basketball and jumping on a trampoline, movements that appeared to directly challenge the seriousness of the injury being cited by the organization.
The timing raised eyebrows across the league. Crosby had just been placed on season-ending injured reserve, a move the Raiders framed as necessary to protect his long-term health, yet the visuals suggested a player eager, and seemingly able, to stay active.
On the field, Crosby’s season production underscored why the situation matters. He started 15 games, finishing with 73 tackles, 20 quarterback hits, and one interception, numbers that had him on pace to approach his 90-tackle 2023 NFL season before the shutdown. Despite playing through pain, Crosby remained the engine of Las Vegas’ defense.
Trade questions quietly resurface about Crosby
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Crosby is expected to require knee surgery that would sideline him into the offseason, with the Raiders placing him on IR to begin preparations for 2026. The move also fueled speculation that Las Vegas is positioning itself for a higher draft pick, with Crosby’s absence increasing the odds of late-season losses.
Head coach Pete Carroll publicly defended Crosby, “I anticipated it all the way throughout… he’s been just fighting his a— off the whole time and he’s impeccably positioned himself as as good a competitor as you could be – you can’t battle more than he has, he’d do anything to be able to be playing.”
Beyond the injury, Crosby’s contract has quietly added fuel to trade chatter. As Hayden Winks noted on X, the deal is extremely movable, “Maxx Crosby contract is extremely tradable. Only $5M dead on the Raiders side. Inheriting team has $30M guaranteed in 2026, which is no problem. The rest of the contract is just $28M team options.”