The NFL Scouting Combine kicks off this week. And while much of the Las Vegas Raiders’ focus will be on Fernando Mendoza (widely projected as the No. 1 overall pick), the spotlight hasn’t moved far from Maxx Crosby. The veteran defensive end continues to be at the center of offseason trade speculation, and general manager John Spytek didn’t exactly quiet that noise.

“We’re always listening, man,” Spytek said when asked whether Crosby is considered untradeable.

That response wasn’t random. Spytek didn’t say the Raiders are shopping Crosby, nor did he suggest they’re eager to move him. But he did reinforce a fundamental NFL truth: no one is completely untouchable. If an overwhelming offer comes in, the Raiders would at least consider it.

In a what-if scenario, if the Raiders do end up trading Crosby, you can at least make a football case for both sides. Crosby would get a fresh start and a real opportunity to compete and win elsewhere.

As for the Raiders, they’d take on a $5.1 million dead-cap hit but create $30.69 million in savings, according to OverTheCap.com, while also adding valuable draft capital. From a roster-building standpoint, that’s not insignificant.

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In Vegas, trade chatter surrounding Crosby has been simmering for months, and Spytek’s latest comment only intensifies it. Still, there’s another side to this. Despite acknowledging he’ll listen to offers, Spytek has also publicly expressed confidence in Crosby remaining a Raider in 2026.

“I am,” Spytek said when asked if he’s confident that Crosby would remain in Las Vegas. “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. It’s hard to build a great team without elite players.”

That’s a strong endorsement. But it’s not a guarantee.

And that’s where the nuance comes in. Spytek signed Crosby to a three-year extension worth $106.5 million early last March, which clearly signals value and commitment. At the same time, he also played a partial role in shutting Crosby down during the final stretch of the 2025 regular season due to injury concerns.

On paper, that decision may have been about long-term preservation. In reality, it didn’t sit well. The 28-year-old reportedly expressed frustration over being shut down and even left the building. Then, during the week of Super Bowl LX, reports surfaced that Crosby was finished playing for the Raiders and wanted a trade.

Further reports indicated that Crosby had a conversation with minority owner Tom Brady and made it known that he wanted out of Vegas.

So where does that leave things?

As of now, nothing has materialized. Crosby is still in Vegas. There hasn’t been a trade. There hasn’t been a formal resolution. But Spytek’s willingness to listen keeps the door slightly open. And with multiple teams reportedly expressing interest, the situation remains fluid.

Multiple teams are linked to trade for Maxx Crosby, including the Cowboys

For a long time, it felt difficult to imagine Maxx Crosby being moved, given his résumé and market value. But last year’s Micah Parsons trade served as a reminder that even elite defenders can be dealt under the right circumstances.

Now, if that door is even slightly open, there are going to be suitors. And right at the center of the conversation sit the Dallas Cowboys. They clearly felt Parsons’ absence in 2025 after moving him, and replacing that kind of edge presence isn’t easy. ESPN’s Dan Graziano reported that Dallas could send George Pickens and a 2026 first-round pick (No. 26) to acquire Crosby.

“The Cowboys likely aren’t going to fork over a long-term, top-of-market deal for Pickens, and franchise-tagging him could cause more problems than it solves (as it did last year with edge rusher Micah Parsons),” Graziano wrote. “They get back Crosby, who will make around $30 million per year for the next two years and would replace Parsons. Then, Dallas could look elsewhere for its No. 2 wide receiver.”

From Dallas’ perspective, it’s a clean positional swap. You stabilize the edge with a proven, elite pass rusher under contract, and you rework the receiver room separately. It’s aggressive, but it’s logical.

But the Cowboys aren’t the only team in the mix. The New England Patriots have also been linked to Crosby, and that connection isn’t random. Crosby reportedly told The Athletic’s Dianna Russini that he wants to play for Mike Vrabel. Add in the fact that New England managed just 35 sacks in 2025, and the fit becomes obvious. A proven edge rusher checks a major need.

Still, Crosby’s name has been attached to multiple teams beyond Dallas and New England. This isn’t new, and it likely won’t be the last wave of speculation either.

Ultimately, clarity will come once the new league year begins next month. If real negotiations are happening behind the scenes, that’s when they’ll surface. Until then, it’s all positioning, leverage, and waiting for the calendar to flip.