Crosby's seismic move to Baltimore unexpectedly clears the path for Chargers' crucial pass-rush re-signings.
Yesterday, the Las Vegas Raiders did two things that I have been talking about them doing all offseason.
First, they announced plans to release QB Geno Smith (unless someone wants to trade for him). That was inevitable, as the Raiders are clearing the lane for Fernando Mendoza to take over as the team's #1 QB the moment he is selected with the 1st overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Second, they traded Maxx Crosby to the Baltimore Ravens.
The Ravens have never, in their franchise history, traded a 1st round pick for a veteran player. They sent their 1st round picks in both 2026 & 2027 to the Raiders in exchange for Crosby, who is signed for at least two more seasons (and potentially four). However, new Ravens head coach Jesse Minter wasn't going to pass up the opportunity to bolster the Baltimore defense by acquiring Crosby, who is the type of player that usually is not available on the trade market.
When I wrote about this a few weeks ago, I laid out why I thought the Raiders would be looking to move on from Crosby. It doesn't benefit them to have a player that good when they know the rest of the team isn't ready to win, it doesn't benefit him to stick around, and the Raiders can get stuff in return for him now that can help them build a brighter future for the organization.
So, yes, the Las Vegas Raiders are planning on being bad next season. That's good news for the Chargers, who get to play against the Raiders twice in 2026.
However, there's another piece of this puzzle for Los Angeles Chargers fans to digest:
One of the biggest threats to the Chargers re-signing Odafe Oweh (and, to a lesser extent, Khalil Mack) was the Ravens. They could offer him a second chance in Baltimore, in Minter's defensive scheme that helped to supercharge Oweh's pass-rushing abilities in 2025.
With the addition of Crosby, who amounts to $30M+ against the Ravens cap for at least the next two seasons, I think we can count them out on courting Oweh (and, to a lesser extent, Khalil Mack) away from Los Angeles.
The Chargers made their first move of free agency when they signed center Tyler Biadasz to a three-year deal, which should allow them to focus on re-signing Odafe Oweh and avoid having to rethink the team's pass rush.