The Las Vegas Raiders will be without their biggest star for the remainder of the year. Three-time Pro Bowl edge rusher Maxx Crosby announced on Instagram that he will undergo ankle surgery that will end his season.
Maxx Crosby makes it official: His season is over. https://t.co/wsFOkj4B0x pic.twitter.com/XcA6podvb6
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 15, 2024
In an extensive post, Crosby revealed that he suffered the second high-ankle sprain of the season in the Raiders' 28-13 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 14. The first occurred in Week 2 against the Baltimore Ravens. He missed one game.
Despite his injuries, Crosby has been his typically dominant self when available this season. His 17.5 tackles for loss lead the NFL, and his 7.5 sacks are more than double any other Raiders defender.
Crosby has been one of the lone consistencies in an era of constant change and upheaval for the Raiders. In his six seasons with the franchise, he has seen the Raiders move from Oakland to Las Vegas and played for five different head coaches. Given the Raiders are currently sitting on a 2-11 record, there may even be more change to come.
Crosby is 27 years old and has given his all to the Raiders, appearing in 95 of a possible 96 games to this point in his career, but if the Raiders are about to go through yet another hard reset, it may be time for a split.
Crosby would undoubtedly be a valued asset on the trade market. He has two years left on a four-year, $94 million extension with no guaranteed money, which means the Raiders can move him without a significant dead money penalty.
That being said, whatever team pursues Crosby would be required to make a hefty investment. Not only would they have to part with significant draft compensation, up to and including a first-round pick, but they'd likely be obligated to hand Crosby a lucrative extension. San Francisco 49ers edge rusher Nick Bosa is currently the highest-paid defender in the league at $34 million per year; Crosby shouldn't be far behind.
Photo Credit: © Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
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