With the NFL trade deadline fast approaching on November 10, the conversation surrounding Las Vegas Raiders edge rusher Maxx Crosby has become a study in the difference between box-score results and underlying efficiency. While the external chatter focuses on Crosby’s relatively low count of two sacks through the first six games of the season, a deeper look at the league’s pressure metrics suggests the veteran defender is playing some of the most effective football of his career.
Through six weeks, Crosby has recorded 15 hits on opposing quarterbacks. This figure ties him for third in the NFL alongside Houston’s Will Anderson Jr., trailing only Buffalo’s Greg Rousseau (19) and Denver’s Zach Allen (16). The volume of hits indicates that Crosby is consistently winning his matchups and reaching the passer, even if the final result has been the ball leaving the quarterback’s hand a fraction of a second before the sack can be completed.
This discrepancy is not unique to Crosby within the Raiders’ defensive unit. As a team, Las Vegas has recorded 43 quarterback hits, ranking sixth in the league, yet they have only converted those opportunities into 15 sacks, which ranks 13th. The data suggests a rush that is frequently disruptive but struggles with the final follow-through. For Crosby, the weekly breakdown of hits shows a steady presence: three against Miami, one against the Chargers, two against New Orleans, five against Kansas City, and two each against New England and Buffalo. His sack production, however, has been front-loaded, with 1.5 in the season opener and a half-sack against the Chiefs.
The trade speculation has gained momentum as the Raiders’ season has pivoted. After a promising 3-0 start, the team suffered three consecutive losses to Kansas City, New England, and Buffalo. In each of those defeats, the defense surrendered 30 or more points, including a 45-17 blowout at the hands of the Patriots. This slide has led some analysts to suggest that the organization should consider moving its most valuable defensive asset to jumpstart a future rebuild.
History shows that the Raiders have entertained the idea of moving Crosby before. In March, a deal was reportedly in place to send the edge rusher to the Baltimore Ravens in exchange for two first-round draft picks. That blockbuster trade fell through only after Crosby’s medical evaluation, which followed a winter procedure to repair a meniscus. Since that failed official transaction, the “two first-round picks” figure has remained the benchmark for his potential value on the open market, though rival executives suggest that price is unlikely to decrease.
However, when comparing Crosby to historical mid-season trades for elite pass rushers, the two-firsts asking price appears steep. In 2021, the Denver Broncos traded Von Miller to the Los Angeles Rams for second- and third-round picks. At the time, Miller’s production over his previous three seasons—32.5 sacks and 69 hits—was nearly identical to Crosby’s recent three-year stretch of 32.0 sacks and 71 hits. A similar precedent was set in 2016 when the New England Patriots traded Chandler Jones to the Arizona Cardinals for a second-round pick and a player.
The primary differentiator for Crosby is his contract. Unlike Miller or Jones, who were traded on expiring deals, Crosby is signed through 2029. He is currently playing under a three-year, $106.5 million extension that averages $35.5 million annually and includes $91.5 million in practical guarantees. For a team looking to acquire him, they would be taking on a massive financial commitment, including a $30 million base salary in 2026. Conversely, the Raiders would only be left with roughly $5.1 million in dead money from prorated bonuses if they moved him, making a trade financially feasible for the seller.
Potential suitors must weigh the current sack slump against Crosby’s remarkable consistency over his career. He has never finished an NFL season with fewer than 7.0 sacks. To keep that streak alive, he needs five more sacks over the remaining 11 games. Achieving this would place him in an elite group of only nine players since 1982 to record at least 7.0 sacks in each of their first eight professional seasons.
While the sack totals may currently be light, the hits suggest that a statistical correction is likely in the coming weeks. For the Raiders, the decision remains whether to sell high on a player whose value is tied to a long-term contract or to hope that the pressure he provides eventually translates into the defensive stops needed to turn their season around before the November 10 deadline at 3 p.m. CT.
