Raiders Not Trading Maxx Crosby, Who Wants to Stay

Maxx Crosby is not going anywhere. The Raiders have no plans to trade their star defensive end before the Nov. 10 deadline, and this time Crosby wants to stay, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Sunday morning citing league sources.

That is a big shift from a year ago, when Crosby was one of the hottest names at the deadline and openly wondered about his future in Las Vegas. Las Vegas has not had a single conversation with another team about him this season.

A Raider for Life, if He Gets His Way

One source summed up where Crosby stands. "Maxx absolutely does not want to leave Las Vegas under any circumstances," the source told ESPN. "His hope, though not in his full control, is that he remains a Raider for life."

Teams can always call and ask what it would take, and the past week proved that blockbusters can come out of nowhere. But those calls have not happened, and if they do, they are not expected to change anything.

This would have been a very different story back in the offseason. The Ravens traded two first-round picks to the Raiders for the five-time Pro Bowler, then Crosby failed his physical in Baltimore and the deal was wiped out. Now both sides seem happy that it never went through.

The Raiders Need Him Right Now

Las Vegas is 3-4 after a 3-0 start and has dropped four straight, and the defense is tied for 29th in yards allowed. Crosby is the guy the Raiders are counting on to flip that, starting Sunday against the Jets at MetLife Stadium. A win gets them back to .500 in November for the first time since 2020.

Crosby is staying positive. "Adversity reveals who you are," he said this week. "You can't fall into the negativity. You've got to be positive, regardless of what the world wants you to feel like."

The schedule does not get easier. After the Jets, the Raiders go to San Francisco, host Seattle, then visit Denver and Cleveland before their Week 13 bye.

Cousins Stays the Starter Too

The same goes at quarterback. Kirk Cousins remains the starter, and the Raiders do not blame him for the skid. He leads the NFL with 16 touchdown passes and has thrown only five interceptions in seven games. Rookie Fernando Mendoza, the No. 1 overall pick, may get a look after the bye, but the ideal plan has Cousins finishing the season.

My Smacktok lean: go higher on Cousins' passing touchdowns against the Jets. He leads the league with 16, and the Raiders' run game averages just 74.7 yards per game, so this offense lives through the air.