The Raiders are making a very specific point as the trade deadline approaches: don’t expect a fire sale.
On Sunday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Las Vegas had not received any trade inquiries on quarterback Kirk Cousins and had no plans to move him. Schefter also said the Raiders are sticking with Cousins for now and are not preparing to hand the offense over to Fernando Mendoza.
“As of this weekend, the Raiders had not received any trade inquiries regarding their starting quarterback Kirk Cousins, nor are they interested in dealing him, per league sources. They plan to keep sticking with him until they believe their No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza is… pic.twitter.com/g9aU9OGyHl
- Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 8, 2026”
That report followed another Schefter note from last week that carried the same message about Maxx Crosby. On ESPN’s Unsportsmanlike, Schefter said he had been told the Raiders had not had a single conversation with another team about Crosby.
“I was told last week that they haven’t had a single conversation with a team about Maxx Crosby,” Schefter said on ESPN’s Unsportsmanlike on Tuesday of last week.
“[That was] last Thursday. Now they could have come Friday or Saturday, that’s possible, or yesterday.
But as of last Thursday, they had not had a single conversation about trading Maxx Crosby with another team or so they told me. And so Maxx was the one who wanted to get out last year and even very clearly said that he wanted to remain a Raider.
So he’s not looking to get out.”
“The Raiders, again, they’re not looking to trade him. Could there be a team that calls up and makes them an offer?
Yeah, that could happen. Absolutely.
But I also say whereas the Baltimore Ravens gave up two first-round draft picks for Maxx Crosby, I don’t there’s anybody giving up two first-round picks for Maxx Crosby today. So even if somebody was willing to give up a [first round pick], which I don’t see, are the Las Vegas Raiders selling one of the faces of their franchise at 50 cents on the dollar?
Does that make sense when you’re winning?”
The odd part is that Schefter has now delivered the same basic message on two of the Raiders’ biggest names within five days. That naturally raises the question of where the information is coming from.
Given Schefter’s track record, it’s fair to think the source is someone high up in the organization, likely GM John Spytek or Tom Brady. And if that’s the case, the Raiders are clearly comfortable letting the league know that no one is circling either player.
That leaves the obvious question hanging over Las Vegas: why have Schefter publicly pour cold water on trade buzz around two of the team’s most prominent players right before the deadline?
Even if the Raiders have no intention of moving anyone, the message itself is hard to miss. For now, the club wants it understood that there is no market forming for Maxx Crosby or Kirk Cousins.
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Bowers has piled up production at a pace few tight ends can match, and the Raiders have leaned on him heavily as losses have mounted, with five defeats in their last six games. The challenge now is whether that individual surge can translate into something more meaningful when Las Vegas turns to the Seahawks next. [Read more 🡒]