The Cowboys have made it clear they want help before Week 1, but the Maxx Crosby hype may be getting ahead of the reality.
That buzz picked up after Jerry Jones opened training camp by saying he would “give up the future” for “something substantive” to upgrade Dallas in time for Opening Day.
“I'd give up the future to substitute where we are today,” Jones told reporters. “As to a player, to give you an idea about what I'd invest, something substantive, to get the right kind of deal and improve us for Opening Day? I would.”
Naturally, that sent fans straight to the biggest name connected to Dallas this offseason: Crosby. The Raiders edge rusher was a target for the Cowboys back in March before the Baltimore Ravens stepped in and outbid them.
But Joseph Hoyt of the Dallas Morning News isn’t buying the idea of a Crosby deal happening now. When asked the classic “buy or sell” question, Hoyt shut it down quickly.
“Hard sell,” Hoyt said, before adding that, “From my understanding: I don't think that will happen.”
That skepticism makes sense. Pulling off a major trade this late in the offseason is already a tough ask, and Crosby’s own messaging after the failed March push points in the same direction.
“Everything Happens For A Reason,” Crosby wrote on X. “Believe Nothing You Hear & Half Of What You See.
Im A Raider. I'm Back.
Run That S***.”
For now, Crosby has backed away from the trade chatter, and it’s tough to imagine the Raiders moving a five-time Pro Bowler against his wishes.
That said, the story may not be over.
Crosby’s frustration earlier this offseason came from the losing in Las Vegas, and there’s no reason to think that changes in 2026 with the Raiders rebuilding. ESPN’s Adam Schefter has already pointed to a possible in-season window if the Raiders stumble again.
“What if the Raiders are 1-5, 2-6, and we're coming up to the trade deadline in the first week in November and there's a team out there that could use a pass-rusher and Maxx is playing at the level that we think he can,” Schefter said on his podcast. “I think that's when the trade potentially could come back into play down the line.”
Dallas would still have to be in the right spot in the standings to seriously chase him, but Jones has shown he’s willing to move fast if he thinks the upgrade is real. He already made a blockbuster move for Quinnen Williams in 2025 when the Cowboys were 3-5-1.
So while a preseason Crosby deal sounds unlikely, the Cowboys probably won’t be shy if he ever hits the market in November. Barring a complete first-half collapse, Dallas figures to be in the mix if that door opens.
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