How Trade for Maxx Crosby Would Impact Lions' Salary Cap

Pro Bowl defensive end Maxx Crosby appears to have played his final snap as a member of the Las Vegas Raiders, and as a result could be wearing a new uniform in 2026.

Crosby, who has amassed 69.5 career sacks since entering the league as a fourth-round pick in 2020 and has received Pro Bowl honors five times in his career, reportedly wants out after a rocky end to the season with the Raiders.

Should Crosby actually be on the market, a logical destination would be the Detroit Lions. Crosby was born in Lapeer, Michigan, and played collegiately at Eastern Michigan. The field at EMU is named after him, and his ties to the school remain strong as he currently co-hosts a podcast with two of his former teammates.

Detroit has one of the NFL's best EDGE rushers in Aidan Hutchinson, but have struggled to nail down a running mate for him on the opposite side of the defensive line. There's no question that if Crosby was to join the Lions, they would have one of the most fearsome pass-rush duos in the entire NFL.

However, there are factors that would complicate the potential addition of Crosby. For starters, the Lions aren't in the greatest salary cap standing on account of the extensions they've handed out to players they've drafted and identified as part of their core.

Crosby is currently set to make $30 million in base salary in 2026, then will begin a three-year, $106.5 million extension starting in 2027. The Eastern Michigan product will carry heavy cap hits each of the next four seasons.

DBelow is a breakdown of the money a new team that trades for Crosby would take on beginning in 2026 and through the duration of his contract. Crosby does not have any salary currently guaranteed beyond 2026, though his 2027 salary is set to be guaranteed in March of this year. Numbers are courtesy of Spotrac.

2026: $30.7 million ($30 million guaranteed)
2027: $29.7 million (Guarantees in March 2026)
2028: $27.8 million (Non-guaranteed)
2029: $28.2 million (Non-guaranteed)

From the Raiders' perspective, a trade could make plenty of sense. They would take on $5 million in dead cap this year, but none in the following three on account of his extension should he be traded.

Detroit is currently in the red when it comes to cap space in 2026, sitting around -$13 million in effective cap space according to Over The Cap. They do have more space available in future years, but the books are already getting heavy and could get heavier with potential extensions for Jahmyr Gibbs, Jack Campbell, Brian Branch and Sam LaPorta potentially coming as soon as this offseason.

However, the Lions do have some room to spend over the next two years. Detroit currently is listed with just under $49.5 million in cap space for the 2027 season, and just under $110 million for the 2028 season based on Over The Cap's estimations.

Making a trade for Crosby work would require some cap rearranging, such as cuts and restructures, but it truly is not out of the realm of possibility. While it could make extensions difficult, the Lions could certainly make a deal work and not feel it too much from a cap perspective.

For general manager Brad Holmes, it boils down to whether or not making the move is worth the shift in payroll allocation for potential extensions to bring on an elite pass-rusher for the next four seasons.

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