A rumor surfaced on Tuesday that the Cowboys have inquired about possibly trading for Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby. It was enough to get the Raiders to mobilize.

NFL Media reports that the Raiders met on Tuesday with Crosby to tell him they aren’t shopping him, and they won't trade him.

Other teams, per NFL Media, are interested. The Raiders aren't interested in moving their best player, and Crosby wants to stay with the Raiders.

None of this means a trade won't happen. Plenty of posturing occurs in the days preceding the trade deadline. It drives up the return. If the Raiders ever would move him, they'd need enough to justify the deal — and to help replenish a roster that still has plenty of holes.

From a cap standpoint, a trade would not be much of an issue. In 2026, the Raiders would carry only $5.1 million in dead money for Crosby.

His 2026 salary of $30 million is fully guaranteed. His 2027 salary of $29 million becomes fully guaranteed on the third day of the 2026 league year.

For a team like the Cowboys, Crosby's contract would be much more affordable than the deal signed in Green Bay by Micah Parsons, when he was traded by Dallas. A trade at the deadline would translate to $15 million in salary for the rest of 2025, and three years, $86 million. That's an average of $28.69 million for 2026 through 2028.