For years, Maxx Crosby has been the Raiders’ heartbeat. Relentless. Vocal. Uncompromising. The kind of player franchises build around — and rarely let go.
Now, that relationship may be fractured beyond repair.
According to an anonymous NFL general manager speaking to Jason La Canfora, Crosby reportedly told Tom Brady — now a minority owner in the Raiders — that he is done with Las Vegas. Not frustrated. Not reconsidering. Done.
“He told them he’ll retire before he ever plays for them again,” the executive claimed.
If true, it’s not a trade request. It’s an ultimatum.
Crosby has never been subtle about how he approaches football. He plays through pain. He rejects long-term tanking logic. And he has little patience for organizational decisions that prioritize draft positioning over competition.
That tension boiled over late in the 2025 season.
After suffering a knee injury, Crosby believed he could finish the year. Instead, the Raiders shut him down for the final two games — a move widely interpreted as protecting their hold on the No. 1 pick. The decision reportedly didn’t sit well. Crosby stormed out of the facility.
“I don’t give a s–t about the pick,” Crosby said shortly after. “My job is to be the best defensive end in the world.”
That quote now feels less emotional and more prophetic.
Crosby has produced at an elite level despite the chaos around him. He’s recorded double-digit sacks in four of seven seasons and finished 2025 with 10 sacks in 15 games. He’s been durable, productive, and emotionally invested in a franchise that has struggled to define itself.
But franchises change — and so do power structures.
Tom Brady’s arrival as a minority owner reshaped the Raiders’ internal dynamics. And if Crosby truly delivered that message directly to Brady, it suggests this wasn’t venting. It was strategic.
Still, not everyone believes a breakup is imminent.
Another NFL general manager told SportsBoom that while teams would line up with massive offers — potentially two first-round picks — Las Vegas may not be eager to pull the trigger.
“I don’t think they jump at it,” the executive said. “You’re going to have to really knock them over.”
The Myles Garrett comparison looms large. Garrett once delivered a similar warning in Cleveland, only to receive a historic contract extension and remain with the Browns. That precedent fuels skepticism about whether Crosby’s stance will force action.
Raiders general manager John Spytek has publicly praised Crosby, calling him someone who “embodies what a Raider is.” He stopped short of labeling him untradable. That silence now feels deliberate.
Behind the scenes, the noise is growing. The Athletic previously reported that Las Vegas could be open to trading Crosby if tensions remained unresolved. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport has suggested any move would likely come after the 2026 NFL Draft — not before.
That timing matters.
The Raiders are entering 2026 with a new head coach in Klint Kubiak, the No. 1 overall pick, and an organization still searching for an identity. Crosby’s presence should be stabilizing. Instead, it’s become another pressure point.
Crosby insists he hasn’t formally requested a trade. But statements don’t always need paperwork to be loud.
If he truly told Brady he’d walk away from the game rather than stay, that’s not leverage — it’s resolve. And it places the Raiders in a familiar position: holding a generational talent while standing at a crossroads they didn’t expect to reach this quickly.
What happens next may define more than a roster.
It may define whether Las Vegas finally chooses a direction — or continues to lose the very players who once gave it an identity.
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