All-Pro edge rusher with Michigan ties fuels Lions' fans dreams with recent comments

As last season's trade deadline approached, the idea of the Detroit Lions looking toward the struggling Las Vegas Raiders for players who could fortify their roster was definitely in play. More specifically, it was easy to dream about what it might take to acquire All-Pro defensive end Maxx Crosby and pair him with Aidan Hutchinson.

It's a guarantee the Raiders, if they'd even consider trading him (very unlikely), will not give Crosby away. He's entering his age-27 season, firmly in his prime, with four All-Pro team nods and three straight Pro Bowl selections over five NFL seasons.

The Raiders rightly rewarded Crosby with a four-year, $94 million contract in 2022. So there's the not-so small matter of that too, with three years left on it and cap hits of almost $24.5 million (2024) and $27 million (2025 and 2026).

At the 2023 Pro Bowl, Crosby was captured having a conversation about Dan Campbell with Lions' right tackle Penei Sewell, who we know he has great admiration for.

Maxx Crosby fuels the dreams of Lions fans with new comments

On this week's edition of his podcast, The Rush with Maxx Crosby, Crosby was asked "If the Raiders were off the table, who would be one other team you'd play for?"

The clip below may not have captured all he said on the topic, or about the team he chose, but he said it'd be the Lions.

Crosby has Michigan ties. He grew up as a Lions fan in Lapeer, Michigan, and he went to college in Ypsilanti at Eastern Michigan.

Again, Crosby is not freely available until at least after the 2026 season right now. And the cost to trade for him would be hefty, if the Raiders were even open to the idea to any degree (they should not be, until further notice).

But Crosby answered a question about which team he'd want to play for if not the Raiders, which he presumably knew was coming on his own podcast, honestly. Now the dreams of Lions' fans that he'll someday play for the team might be re-ignited.