The Detroit Lions are monitoring Maxx Crosby amid growing rumors that the edge rusher wants to leave the Las Vegas Raiders.

The Lions are in desperate need to find a good partner for their star edge rusher, Aidan Hutchinson, and may look at Crosby to fill that void. They finished the season with a 9-8 record, ultimately missing out on the playoffs, and getting Max Crosby is seen as a top priority for them this offseason.

According to Sports Illustrated’s John Maakaron, "What some fail to realize is that all teams and players still must follow league protocol regarding how much contact is made, following a team’s regular season ending or once a team is eliminated from the playoffs. Crosby has not talked to the team at all since the Raiders' season ended." 

And he's not alone. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler puts the Lions at the top of the contenders list to pick up Maxx Crosby.

“I believe more than a dozen teams, possibly up to 20, will at least inquire with levels of serious intent. And there are some natural would-be contenders, including the Bills, Lions, 49ers, Cowboys, and Ravens.”

The rumours about Crosby’s tension with the Raiders have circulated after he suffered a knee injury in October when the Raiders played the Kansas City Chiefs. Crosby played through the rest of the 2025 season, believing he was healthy enough to continue. With two games remaining, the Raiders placed him on the injury reserve list, a move that took Crosby by surprise.

He left the Raiders’ facility after a disagreement, later saying that he did not care about the No. 1 draft pick and only wanted to be competitive.

Some other options the Lions could consider

If the Detroit Lions want to get Maxx Crosby, it could come at a high price. The Micah Parsons trade from the Dallas Cowboys to the Green Bay Packers involved two first-round draft picks and a player (Kenny Clark).  

That's why Christian Booher of Sports Illustrated has identified a few more options for the Lions.

“There are several high-end defensive free agents in this year’s crop, and the Lions may find their missing piece to Aidan Hutchinson in free agency instead of the draft. Trey Hendrickson is the top free agent available, though his value may have dipped after an up-and-down 2025 season hampered by injury,” he said.

The Lions must land their next edge rusher, and Maxx Crosby could be the ideal pick. What do you think the Detroit Lions’ next move will be? Let us know in the comments. 

Written by

Shyam Hari

Edited by

Siddharth Shirwadkar