Scott Gulbransen
There’s a version of the Maxx Crosby trade conversation that keeps recycling every couple of weeks, and most of it is noise. The San Francisco 49ers are interested. The Eagles might be interested. Someone on a podcast said, “nuclear hot.” And now we’re supposed to treat all of this as if something is actually happening.
David Lombardi covers the 49ers every day for The San Francisco Standard. He addressed the chatter on YouTube last week, and he wasn’t subtle about it.
49ers Insider Says Maxx Crosby Trade is Just ‘Media Hype’
“Nobody is denying that the 49ers are interested in Maxx Crosby,” Lombardi said. “However, we have known that for months. They’re interested in all these great players, and some of them, yes, they will trade for them. But for outlets to act like something is imminent just because they aren’t getting enough clicks because it is June 17 is absolutely exhausting.”
That’s worth sitting with. This is not some Raiders beat writer protecting the home team. That’s a San Francisco reporter telling the rest of the NFL media to stop manufacturing a story.
Maxx Crosby Trade to San Francisco is Possible — But Not Now
Lombardi went further, explaining why any realistic deal window probably won’t open until after the season starts anyway.
The 49ers need more information about their own roster before committing to a trade that would cost them over $30 million in cap space this year alone. Crosby’s 2026 cap charge sits around $35.8 million. Lombardi specifically noted that San Francisco added seven players this offseason for a combined hit of $33.3 million, which is less than Crosby’s salary alone. That’s the context the breathless trade speculation tends to skip.
There’s also the knee. Baltimore had a deal for Crosby that included first-round picks and they still walked away after Crosby’s physical raised concerns about the meniscus surgery he had this past winter. That raised medical flags no team has fully resolved yet and it’s going to be a factor in any serious trade conversation. Albert Breer at SI said he doesn’t see anything happening before Week 1 either and his read tracks with Lombardi’s. The price for Crosby, the cap and the unknowns around his health make this a deadline conversation if it happens at all.
Beware Hyperbolic Hot Takes on Crosby During Dead Period
John Spytek has been consistent that Crosby stays. Klint Kubiak’s defense is built around him. Rob Leonard is scheming to make him the centerpiece. The Raiders were willing to listen in March when the Ravens offered the right number: that much we know.
But the current market isn’t that market, and no team appears willing to meet that asking price right now. Training camp opens in late July. That’s when the real information starts coming in. We’ll get more clarity on Crosby’s knee, on how Las Vegas looks in pads and on whether any of this trade conversation has real legs or just needed a slow news week to breathe.
Maxx Crosby Trade “Rumors” FAQ
Will the Las Vegas Raiders trade Maxx Crosby to the 49ers?
Not before the season. San Francisco 49ers insider David Lombardi says nothing is imminent, and the cap math doesn’t support a deal right now. The earliest realistic window is the November trade deadline, and only if both teams are in the right position.
No. Despite heavy speculation, no deal is close. The Raiders aren’t actively shopping him, GM John Spytek has said publicly he expects Crosby in Las Vegas in 2026, and the asking price, believed to be at least two first-round picks, has yet to be met by any team.
Two reasons: cap space and draft capital. Crosby carries a $35.8 million cap hit in 2026. San Francisco spent less than that on seven players combined this offseason. Stacking Crosby’s contract on top of Nick Bosa’s would tie up an unsustainable amount of money at one position group.
The 49ers and Eagles have been linked to Crosby, but Lombardi, who covers San Francisco daily, called the imminent-deal narrative “absolutely exhausting” on June 17. Albert Breer of SI echoed that, saying he doesn’t expect a trade before Week 1. Crosby remains a Raider.
