# Raiders offer blunt reasoning to holding onto Maxx Crosby at trade deadline

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/raiders-offer-blunt-reasoning-to-holding-onto-maxx-crosby-at-trade-deadline/
- Published: 2026-11-10T23:57:20+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-11T00:21:41+00:00
- Original publisher: New York Post (publisher lean: Right)
- Original article: https://nypost.com/2026/11/10/sports/why-raiders-hung-maxx-crosby-traded-kirk-cousins/
- Topics: World

## Key points

- Las Vegas traded Cousins to make way for rookie Fernando Mendoza.
- The Raiders see Crosby as a key part of their future.
- Crosby wants to stay, and the team made its position clear.

## Summary

The Raiders traded veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins to the Vikings and are preparing rookie Fernando Mendoza to start, having judged that his progress in practice merits the opportunity. They kept defensive star Maxx Crosby because they see him as central to the team’s future and as a stabilising presence while Mendoza and first-year head coach Klint Kubiak find their footing.

Cousins went 4-5 with the Raiders, including wins in his first three starts, and gave Mendoza nine games to learn from a veteran. The club believes Mendoza now needs experience playing through mistakes himself. League sources said there was little trade discussion about Crosby, in part because Las Vegas made clear it wanted to retain him; Crosby has also said he wants to remain with the team.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.