Eagles & 49ers Are Reportedly In Heated Battle To Pull Off The Next Blockbuster Trade Of The NFL Offseason
This article was originally published on Total Pro Sports.
The Maxx Crosby trade saga just got a whole lot more interesting. NFL insider Hondo Carpenter dropped a major update this week, confirming that two NFC powerhouses are leading the charge to pry the elite pass rusher away from the Las Vegas Raiders — and neither one is backing off.
“I am telling you there is a lot of interest in Maxx Crosby,” Carpenter said on the Las Vegas Raiders Insider podcast. “Two teams specifically are nuclear hot: the Eagles and the 49ers.”
That quote sets the stage for what could be one of the most consequential trades of the entire NFL offseason. Both franchises have legitimate reasons to want Crosby badly. Both have the assets to make it happen. And the Raiders, despite publicly saying they expect Crosby to stay in Las Vegas, have already proven they are willing to deal him — the failed Baltimore Ravens trade earlier this offseason made that crystal clear.
Why the 49ers Need Maxx Crosby More Than Anyone
San Francisco’s desperation for pass rush help is not subtle. The 49ers finished dead last in the NFL with just 20 sacks in 2025, and Nick Bosa is still working his way back from his second ACL injury. Kyle Shanahan and GM John Lynch need a legitimate edge presence now — not next draft class, not next free agency period, now.
Crosby fixes that problem immediately. The five-time Pro Bowler posted 10 sacks and two forced fumbles in just 15 games last season, even while dealing with a knee injury that eventually torpedoed his trade to Baltimore. A Crosby-Bosa pairing, when both are healthy, would instantly rank among the most feared edge duos in football and give San Francisco a real answer to what the Los Angeles Rams have built on their defensive front.
NFL insider Albert Breer has laid out the sensible framework: wait and see how the first seven weeks of the season unfold, then pull the trigger if San Francisco is rolling and Las Vegas is struggling. The 49ers reportedly explored a trade package centered around two first-round picks (2026 and 2027), a third-round pick, and young defenders Alfred Collins and Nick Martin. That is a serious offer.
What Makes the Maxx Crosby Trade Race So Compelling
The Eagles bring a different kind of appeal. Philadelphia is a reigning Super Bowl contender with a complete roster, and adding Crosby to their defensive front would create a nightmare scenario for every offensive line in the NFC. Their recent history shows they are not afraid to be aggressive on the trade market when a generational talent becomes available.
The Raiders reportedly want at least two first-round picks in any deal — a price tag that reflects Crosby’s status as one of the best defensive players in football, but also one that scared Baltimore off after their physical concerns emerged. That knee question is not going away, and whichever team blinks first will be betting big on his durability.
Prediction market platform Polymarket currently lists the 49ers among the favorites to land Crosby, with real-money bettors backing San Francisco heavily. But the Crosby trade pursuit has been building for months, with multiple teams cycling in and out of contention — from the Cowboys to the Bills to the Patriots — before it narrowed to this two-team race at the top.
For a deep dive into how the Raiders-Ravens trade collapsed and what it means for Las Vegas’s asking price, the full background adds important context to just how complicated — and high-stakes — this pursuit really is.
What happens next depends on how the 2026 season starts. But right now, the Eagles and 49ers are both locked in — and one of them is going to make their move.
