Maxx Crosby experienced a highly publicised and unusual trade saga this past offseason when a deal sending him from the Las Vegas Raiders to the Baltimore Ravens for two first-round picks collapsed. Following the failed physical and the trade’s cancellation, Crosby found himself on the receiving end of angry messages from Baltimore fans. The Raiders’ All-Pro defensive end has now finally responded to the criticism.

“My initial reaction was like, all these people are making a joke out of my situation, and like, this is my f——-g life.” Maxx Crosby said while appearing on The Rush podcast. “So, my guard immediately goes up, and I’m f——-g seeing red. I want to m—————g all these people and go out. But ultimately, it allowed me to really just be calm. I had to force myself to be calm because in the past, I wouldn’t have reacted in a certain way. Like being quiet sometimes is the most powerful thing. And like understanding that listen, shit’s going to pass.”

Crosby, despite expressing his desire to be a Raider for life multiple times, emerged as a major trade piece this offseason as Las Vegas failed to build a winning roster around him. Similarly, the 28-year-old has been one of the league’s top pass rushers, recording 69.5 sacks, 439 tackles (278 solo), 164 quarterback hits, and 133 tackles for loss in 110 career regular-season games, but his efforts have been wasted as the Silver and Black have made the postseason once in Crosby’s career.

Furthermore, there were reports that Maxx Crosby and the Raiders’ top brass butted heads over his playing time when the star edge rusher was diagnosed with a knee injury last season, as the franchise wanted to go for the first overall pick while the 28-year-old was pushing to win games. So, as an exit was imminent, the Ravens came calling and offered two first-round picks for the All-Pro edge on March 6.

With this move, the Ravens shook up the league and immediately emerged as one of the top Super Bowl contenders. However, when Maxx Crosby went to Charm City to finalize his deal, things didn’t seem right. As revealed by the All-Pro edge rusher, he wasn’t able to interact with either GM Eric DeCosta or head coach Jesse Minter until the end of the day, as he noticed the energy “was off”. Then, as the Ravens’ medical staff proceeded with their tests, they noticed some issues.

Baltimore’s concern centered on Crosby’s durability after a couple of seasons because of a degenerative knee issue, per ESPN, which pushed them to call off their trade. With no deal in place, Crosby was back in the Silver and Black when he first began facing criticism from Ravens fans. This scrutiny also saw an increase when Maxx Crosby shared details about his unsuccessful trip to Baltimore, after which the Raiders star had to issue a statement on his podcast in late March.

“I’m f——-g honest to a fault; I can’t even help myself,” Crosby said. “Seeing s–t like that, it had me dying laughing. Now the Ravens fans are like, ‘F–k you.’ They’re sending me messages, ‘I hope you f–king end your career.’ I’m like, ‘Damn.'”

After the trade didn’t go through, Maxx Crosby was quick to express his love and admiration for Las Vegas and the Raiders fans, making it clear that he wants to stay in the Silver and Black for the foreseeable future. But this hasn’t stopped the trade rumors surrounding the All-Pro edge with one NFC West powerhouse considered a possible landing spot for the 28-year-old.

Will the San Francisco 49ers trade for Maxx Crosby?

Since the botched Maxx Crosby trade, the NFL has had many similar blockbuster deals this offseason. But none have been as groundbreaking as the Los Angeles Rams trading for the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, Myles Garrett, which immediately solidified them as top Super Bowl contenders. So, to handle this Super Team, which has last year’s DPOY and MVP in Matthew Stafford, the Rams’ arch-rivals, the San Francisco 49ers, have been speculated as trade contenders for Crosby.

Although SI’s Albert Breer expressed that he isn’t truly on board with the Niners trading for Crosby, he shared a situation that could push the San Francisco front office to make a deal with the Raiders.

“If the Niners are, say, 6–1, and the Raiders are 1–6, and Crosby is balling out, that’s where, if I’m [49ers general manager John Lynch], I’m thinking about picking up the phone,” Breer said.

For now, Crosby remains a Raider and has made it clear he wants to stay in Las Vegas. But the trade rumors aren’t going away. If the 49ers find themselves in contention while the Raiders struggle, San Francisco could make a move. With the Rams now boasting both Myles Garrett and Matthew Stafford, the Niners may have no choice but to pick up the phone.