The Grain of Salt in John Spytek’s Maxx Crosby Statement

The Las Vegas Raiders have had a great offseason so far. They already locked up the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft with a 3-14 finish last season. They added two members of the Seattle Seahawks' championship staff to their sideline: offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak as their new head coach and quarterbacks coach Andrew Janocko as their new OC.

The Raiders have only just begun, too. They still have some of the most cap space available to spend in free agency and a bevy of draft picks to add talent to their roster.

However, there's been a dark cloud hanging over the franchise, one that might bring an inevitable lightning strike that would fry the fanbase's optimism. For months now, the potential departure of star EDGE Maxx Crosby has weighed heavily on the minds of the Raiders faithful. Thankfully, General Manager John Spytek just brought the sunshine back to Sin City.

Las Vegas Raiders, NFL, Maxx Crosby — Dec 14, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby (98) in the tunnel against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

John Spytek's precursor rings loudly

NFL personnel across the league have arrived in Indianapolis for the 2026 NFL Draft Combine. Not only is this a great chance for fans to get an in-depth look at some of their future players, but it's also one of the most massive media events of the offseason. General Manager John Spytek just gave a great sound bite for the Las Vegas Raiders faithful. Speaking on Maxx Crosby, Spytek stated that he's confident that his star EDGE will be suiting up in the silver and black next season:

"I do [expect him to return]. Maxx is an elite player, and I've been very upfront from the start when I got here that we're in the business of having really good players on the team, and we need a lot more of them."

However, Spytek didn't completely shut the door on a Crosby trade. "I learned a long time ago, always listen. I'm always listening."

From The Insiders on @NFLNetwork at the Combine: The Maxx Crosby situation got a little clearer today. But only a little. pic.twitter.com/F3R2yXSgkK
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 24, 2026

In truth, this isn't any different from his messaging around Crosby at the end of the 2025 season. At that point, it seemed like the relationship between the EDGE and the team was beyond repair, after the Raiders shut him down for the last couple of weeks of the campaign to get a jumpstart on his injury recovery (and bolster their chances at landing the No. 1 pick).

Spytek remaining confident in his chances to convince Crosby to stay is a good sign. However, his leaving it open-ended, even if just by a sliver, is a legitimate cause for concern.

The draft combine is much more than just a scouting opportunity. It's also one of the few times that executives from every team are all in the same place at the same time, interacting in person. It's much easier to turn down a deal over the phone than it is over dinner, with negotiations greased up by the finest wines that Indianapolis has to offer.

All it takes is for Spytek to fall in love with a prospect that the Raiders aren't in range to draft. At that point, a fellow executive of another team can offer Las Vegas a deal that Spytek can't refuse. They could seal it with a handshake, right then and there.

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