For a franchise defined by offseason drama, Michael Irvin has a simple two-player solution he believes will not only end the chatter but deliver a near-perfect season. The Cowboys are working to retain key contributors like receiver George Pickens while also exploring potential upgrades to their roster. Now, with trade rumors swirling around Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby and the Cowboys, Irvin shared a bold prediction about what could happen if Dallas finds a way to land him.

“Let me say it this way, if you got Maxx Crosby and could keep George Pickens in that offense intact, I would almost be saying, ‘Wow, this is going to be one of them 15-2, 16-1,’ Michael Irvin said during a YouTube live stream on February 24. “That would be a team that could possibly get close to the record for best regular season the Dallas Cowboys ever had. And absolutely, I believe, will be able to look at running this thing all the way to a Super Bowl if you get them both.”

It’s worth remembering that the Cowboys posted one of their best regular-season marks in 2016, finishing 13-3 with quarterback Dak Prescott leading the team in his rookie year. The Cowboys also won the NFC East title before falling 34-31 to the Green Bay Packers in the Divisional Round of the playoffs. Now, nearly a decade later, while Prescott remains on the roster, Michael Irvin believes that adding Crosby on defense while keeping Pickens would take the Cowboys to the Super Bowl. 

Maxx Crosby’s name resurfaced in trade rumors last season amid reports of frustration with the Raiders’ direction under a new coaching staff. Crosby has also been rehabbing from surgery on his left knee, which he initially injured while playing against the Kansas City Chiefs in October. The issue lingered throughout the season, and with two games remaining in 2025, the Raiders ultimately shut Crosby down and placed him on injured reserve.

Reports further indicated that Crosby was frustrated after being sidelined late in the season. Even with the injury, Crosby recorded 73 tackles and 10 sacks in 15 games last season, earning another Pro Bowl selection.

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Meanwhile, the Cowboys still need upgrades on the defensive side of the ball, particularly along the edge. After trading star pass rusher Micah Parsons last year, the unit struggled to maintain a consistent pass rush and impact plays. Adding a disruptive force like Maxx Crosby could immediately reshape the identity of the Cowboys’ defense.

On the other side of the ball, keeping a player like George Pickens presents its own challenges. He thrived in his first full season with the Cowboys after arriving in Dallas through a trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He posted career highs in 2025 with 93 receptions, 1,429 yards, and 9 touchdowns during the 2025 campaign. What makes Pickens’ production even more impressive is that he shared targets with the Cowboys’ star receiver CeeDee Lamb.

Pickens also earned his first Pro Bowl nod after playing for the Cowboys and positioned himself for a massive payday before approaching free agency this offseason. As per Spotrac, Pickens’ estimated market value sits around $30.6 million per season. So, Michael Irvin had already made his feelings clear about Pickens’ future in Dallas.

“I hope he is not a dummy,” Michael Irvin said last week on the Sports Seriously show. “I know he’s not a dummy, but I hope he doesn’t let this guy persuade him. George [Pickens] has been looking for an opportunity, as he got in Dallas with a team that can get him the ball, and now he has that. It’ll be ludicrous and stupid to say, ‘All right, now that I finally found it and I had my best year, I’m just going to get up and go.’”

Michael Irvin’s message is simple: Pickens should not leave Dallas when he has already found success there. Recently, Cowboys CEO Stephen Jones also indicated that his team plans to finalize the franchise tag for Pickens.

“Stephen Jones says the Cowboys will finalize the franchise tag for George Pickens in the next week. “We think the world of him. We want him here,” he said,” Judy Battista of NFL.com reported via X on February 23.

Jones’ statement signaled that the Cowboys could be committed to Pickens for the long term. But the franchise tag could also simply be a bridge toward something else, as Michael Irvin also suggested that Pickens could be gone from Dallas in a trade scenario involving Maxx Crosby. 

Michael Irvin predicts the trade scenario for the Cowboys and Crosby

Amid uncertainty surrounding George Pickens’ future in Dallas, multiple trade proposals have surfaced involving the WR. While some trade scenarios involve the Cowboys moving Pickens for draft capital, others suggest that the team could use him as a key piece in a blockbuster deal for another star player. And Michael Irvin just floated that very scenario involving Maxx Crosby.

“Here comes what you will ultimately come down and be played with,” Michael Irvin said during his recent live stream on YouTube. “If you don’t give that 30 that franchise tag money to George Pickens, right? You don’t give that franchise tag, and you decide to trade George and pay Maxx Crosby, and then try to say I’mma pick up a lesser pick, a lesser number for a receiver.”

He went on to say, “You may not find another receiver like quite like George Pickens, but can you get a guy that can get 1,200 if it’s not 1,400?”

While the Cowboys require defensive upgrades, Michael Irvin believes the team could be willing to sacrifice elite receiver production to land a dominant pass rusher like Maxx Crosby. As Irvin pointed out, Dallas could then look elsewhere for another wide receiver to replace that production. Even if that scenario doesn’t materialize, the Cowboys still hold two first-round picks in the upcoming draft, giving them assets that could be used in a potential deal for a player of Crosby’s caliber.

However, Maxx Crosby will also want to go to a team that looks like a Super Bowl contender, and the Cowboys might not fit that bill. The franchise hasn’t reached a Super Bowl since 1996, and that 30-year drought looms large. Yet, Michael Irvin believes that pairing Crosby with Pickens could fast-track the Cowboys back into championship relevance.

Ultimately, the Cowboys’ recent decision to retain top players like running back Javonte Williams reveals their plan to be more competitive heading into the new season, making it possible for Irvin’s prediction to come true