The disastrous 2025 Detroit Lions season is finally over. Now, Lions fans are looking forward to the draft and free agency, and there is one player signing that could wipe away the abysmal ending of last season.
Maxx Crosby.
There isn’t an offensive line in football that could guard a defensive line bookended by Aidan Hutchinson and Crosby. Both giants played their college ball in Michigan, and one of them is very clearly unhappy with his playing situation.
Crosby, 28, has been the star of the Las Vegas Raiders since he was drafted by the franchise in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL draft. He was the star of the Eastern Michigan Eagles for four years. They school even named its home turf in Ypsilanti “Crosby Field” after the man.
Speculation was that Crosby was going to leave Las Vegas after the 2024 season, but then he signed a 3-year $110 million deal with the Raiders, rendering him all but unavailable for the next three years.
Until the end of this season.
Crosby was placed on IR by the Raiders then head coach Pete Carroll after 10 sacks and 77 total tackles. Without him on the field, the Raiders were a shoo-in for the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft. For a team restarting its rebuild, it would make perfect sense for the Raiders to deal Crosby and get rid of his contract while they build a new team.
And the Lions could use him.
According to Jay Glazer, the Raiders would be looking for a package similar to what the Packers gave up for Micah Parsons, which was two first-round picks and a cornerback.
Frankly, sending Terrion Arnold and a handful of picks for a five-time Pro Bowler could be a perfect deal.
Not only would the nostalgia of having three players with heavy Michigan ties on the Lions be a huge boost to ticket sales, but given the lack of defensive pressure the Lions produced this year, they could use another dynamic pass rusher so we aren’t watching quarterbacks sit in the pocket and pick our secondary apart.
There are expectations that this team will go far, and if GM Brad Holmes wants that confidence to remain, a move for Crosby would keep the faith.
Alex Deimel is a contributing writer for Michigan Enjoyer.
