It's time to dust off all those rumors suggesting the San Francisco 49ers would swing a blockbuster trade with the Las Vegas Raiders for All-Pro defensive end Maxx Crosby.
Citing a source, Sports Illustrated's Grant Cohn reported the Niners were "one of several teams still interested" in acquiring the star pass-rusher from Vegas via a trade.
For much of the offseason, speculation about Crosby's future hung in the balance, and San Francisco seemed to be a worthy suitor after finishing dead last in sacks a year ago with 20. True, defensive end Nick Bosa's return from a torn ACL should help matters in 2026, but adding Crosby would've been a blockbuster move.
The kind that would've helped offset the Los Angeles Rams' own blockbuster for the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, edge Myles Garrett.
But the 49ers did nothing either before or subsequently after the Garrett trade. Crosby, meanwhile, found himself traded to the Baltimore Ravens, until he ultimately wasn't—the pass-rusher failing a physical, thereby ending the trade.
So, what's next? Could the Niners get back in line to trade for Crosby?
Grant Cohn's proposed Maxx Crosby trade actually makes sense for 49ers
Cohn is no stranger to strong opinions, and that's fine. Yet his suggestion for how San Francisco goes about trading for Crosby is pretty sensible.
For starters, Crosby's value is awfully low after the Baltimore trade fell through, and it wouldn't be a shock for a rebuilding Vegas squad to wait things out into the regular season and see if he gets back to his All-Pro ways, thereby increasing his trade value.
Here's what Cohn had to say:
Theoretically, the 49ers could offer a first-rounder and Mykel Williams to the Raiders for Crosby. If the Raiders would prefer a second-round pick rather than Williams, who was the 11th pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, the 49ers could do that as well. Williams is coming off a torn ACL, but he's only 21 years old. And he was a good run defender last season. He just isn't half the pass rusher that Crosby is -- at least not yet.
Cohn also pointed out how Crosby is cheaper than Bosa and plays more defensive snaps, suggesting the former might immediately be the Niners' best defensive lineman after a would-be trade.
Moreover, Cohn indicated how San Francisco hasn't exactly hit on first- and second-round draft picks as of late, Bosa arguably being the last best one, and he was drafted in 2019.
From that vantage point, acquiring Crosby for early picks to maintain the 49ers' current Super Bowl window might not be the worst idea ever.
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