The Raiders rolled out the red carpet.
Franchise legends filled the room. Super Bowl rings glistened under bright lights. Hall of Fame jackets framed the stage as Klint Kubiak stepped into his first official moment as Las Vegas’ new head coach.
Everything looked intentional.
Except for one absence.
Maxx Crosby wasn’t there.
The Raiders’ most recognizable star, the emotional anchor of their defense, was nowhere in sight once the cameras started rolling. And in a room designed to symbolize unity and forward momentum, that absence felt louder than any applause.
It wasn’t that Crosby avoided the building. In fact, he reportedly met with Kubiak earlier in the morning, sharing coffee and talking football.
“He was the first one in here working out,” Kubiak said. “That fired me up.”
On the surface, that sounds encouraging. Engaged. Professional. Locked in.
But optics matter in the NFL.
And when a franchise cornerstone chooses not to sit front row at the introduction of a new head coach — after another losing season and another reset — it invites questions.
Crosby has endured seven turbulent seasons in Las Vegas. Multiple head coaches. Multiple regimes. Multiple promises of rebuilds that never quite materialized. In that time, he’s experienced one playoff appearance and one winning season.
Now he’s approaching 29.
And reports surfaced during Super Bowl week suggesting Crosby may not be eager to endure yet another reset.
His contract — technically running through 2029 — functions more like a two-year, $60 million guaranteed window in 2026 and 2027. It’s structured in a way that makes a trade not only possible, but feasible.
League sources indicate the market for Crosby would be aggressive — potentially at least two first-round picks.
That’s not speculation built on decline. Despite a knee injury that required meniscus surgery and ended his season two games early, Crosby is expected to be ready for next year.
His value remains elite.
Which makes the situation delicate.
The Raiders now hold the No. 1 overall pick and are expected to draft Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza. Kubiak represents a youth-driven reset. Brady and Spytek have committed to building something sustainable.
But timelines don’t always align.
Crosby’s prime years are finite. A rebuild centered on a rookie quarterback could take time — something Crosby has already sacrificed plenty of.
Would anyone blame him for calculating the odds?
For asking whether his window matches the franchise’s?
Raiders owner Mark Davis hasn’t publicly acknowledged any trade discussions. “What I talk about in the locker room stays in the locker room,” he said.
It was neither denial nor confirmation.
Just containment.
Davis did emphasize that Crosby “is a great Raider” and still part of the organization. But he stopped short of elaboration.
And sometimes, what isn’t said carries more weight.
Crosby’s absence may have been logistical. It may have been respectful — allowing Kubiak’s moment to stand alone.
Or it may have been strategic.
In professional sports, silence can be posture.
If Crosby ultimately requests a trade, it wouldn’t be rebellion. It would be pragmatism. A veteran measuring his championship odds against organizational patience.
Trading him would accelerate draft capital and rebuild flexibility.
Keeping him preserves leadership and identity.
Either path carries consequence.
For now, Crosby remains a Raider. Under contract. Training. Meeting with the new coach.
But as Las Vegas celebrates a fresh beginning, one question lingers quietly in the background:
Is their best player fully aligned with it?
Because rebuilds are easier to announce than to execute.
And stars in their prime rarely wait forever.
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