Iron sharpens iron, and having great players in the division is good training for the Kansas City Chiefs. It helps them stay on course and prepare for tougher opposition in the playoffs. That said, they'd definitely rather have their toughest rivals leave the AFC West.
That's definitely the case with Las Vegas Raiders edge-rusher Maxx Crosby. He has a strong case for being the second-best player in the AFC West behind Patrick Mahomes, and he's undeniably one of the five best pass-rushers in football.
Considering that, the Chiefs should be rooting for his departure, especially after coming so close to it this offseason. According to FanSided's Wynston Wilcox, that might happen again pretty soon, and while the Chiefs won't be in the mix to get him, watching Crosby leave will be a big win:
"The Las Vegas Raiders might not have a choice but to trade Maxx Crosby at the NFL trade deadline at the latest. The Raiders could absolutely benefit from having Crosby, but it feels like they’ll capitalize on the draft capital that can come from moving him," wrote Wilcox. "If the Raiders aren’t even division contenders by the deadline, it’s probably best they trade Crosby while he still has some value."
The Chiefs may not have to worry about Maxx Crosby for much longer
In 13 career games against the Chiefs, Crobsy has logged 43 total tackles (27 solo), 14 tackles for loss, and 6.0 sacks. With Mahomes coming off the first major injury of his career, a date with Maxx Crosby definitely isn't what the doctor ordered, especially twice per season.
The Chiefs will travel to Sin City to face the Raiders in Week 4 before their bye week. They have a big opportunity to contribute to the Raiders' struggles and potentially force their hand to trade Crosby before their rematch in the regular-season finale.
Crosby and the Raiders have said all the right things about their partnership, and he's affirmed his commitment to staying with the organization for the remainder of his career if things turn out that way. Even if he never wins a Super Bowl -- or hardly comes close to playing in one -- he'd be okay with that.
That said, we've seen how quickly things can change in this league. His relationship with the team already turned sour when they wanted to shut him down for the final stretch of last season, and while the Raiders should be better in 2026, there still aren't guarantees that they will be good enough to make the playoffs.
LV has already baited Crosby in trade talks once, so they could definitely revisit that possibility if he's healthy, plays well, and someone is willing to meet his asking price. Crosby is one of the best players in the game, but with a stacked 2027 NFL Draft class, the Raiders might be tempted to take a first-round selection and move on from their aging and often banged-up superstar.
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