The Dallas Cowboys may still be hunting for help as the 2026 NFL trade deadline draws closer, but the biggest name tied to them is apparently no longer in play.
Maxx Crosby has been the pass-rusher most often linked to Dallas, yet ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Sunday that the Las Vegas Raiders defensive end is not looking to leave and that the Raiders do not intend to deal him. Schefter said teams can keep calling, but the answer from Las Vegas is expected to stay the same.
"Maxx absolutely does not want to leave Las Vegas under any circumstances," Schefter says one source told ESPN. "His hope, though not in his full control, is that he remains a Raider for life."
That stance is a notable shift from where things stood near the end of the 2025 season, when Crosby was frustrated after the Raiders shut him down because of a knee injury. He eventually had surgery, and the tension between player and team helped fuel trade talk. Dallas made a competitive push, but Las Vegas and the Baltimore Ravens were the ones who reached an agreement first.
Baltimore was prepared to send two first-round picks to the Raiders for Crosby, but the deal collapsed after the Ravens gave him a physical and backed out. Once that trade fell apart, Crosby’s outlook changed. He turned his attention to recovery, and both sides appeared more willing to keep the relationship going.
That decision has paid off on the field so far. Through seven games, Crosby has 18 tackles and two sacks, and he has looked healthy while the Raiders opened 3-0 before dropping four straight.
That skid has only stirred up more deadline chatter, but if Schefter’s reporting holds, teams like Dallas can cross Crosby off the list.
If the Cowboys are still shopping for edge help, the next name to watch is Josh Sweat, who will face them Sunday as a member of the Arizona Cardinals. Sweat also has a connection to Christian Parker from their time with the Philadelphia Eagles, and he won a Super Bowl after the 2024 season.
Even so, there’s a real question about whether Dallas should spend a premium pick on Sweat. He’s a good player, but he’s not Crosby, and he wouldn’t be enough on his own to cover up the coaching issues that have dogged the Cowboys defense this season.
For now, the more sensible path may be to keep working on the problems already in-house, because that’s where the biggest trouble appears to be.
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