The Cincinnati Bengals have a reputation for their explosive offense, but team legend Chad Johnson believes they need to make a bold move to strengthen their defense this offseason. With the Ravens trade falling through, the Raiders now have the opportunity to trade Maxx Crosby to a new team.
Chad Johnson Urges Bengals to Trade for Maxx Crosby
Former Bengals star Chad Johnson believes that Crosby is exactly the kind of player the Bengals should target.
With Joe Burrow at quarterback and Ja’Marr Chase at receiver, Cincinnati’s offense has proven it can compete with anyone. However, the defense has sometimes struggled to generate consistent pressure off the edge without relying heavily on blitzes.
A player like Crosby could give Cincinnati’s defense a big boost and help balance a roster that’s ready for a championship run. He would also take pressure off the rest of the defensive line and force opponents to adjust their protection schemes.
Bengals go & get Maxx Crosby he can have my fucking knees. ðŸ’
— Chad Johnson (@ochocinco) March 11, 2026
Throughout the offseason, Crosby has been in the spotlight after a major trade between the Raiders and Ravens reportedly fell through. The Ravens were ready to trade for the All-Pro edge rusher in exchange for two first-round picks, but the deal was called off when Baltimore reportedly backed out due to medical concerns found during Crosby’s physical.
Last season, Crosby had an excellent year, finishing the season ranked second in PFSN’s EDGE Impact Metric. This is nothing new for Crosby and the Raiders, but this dominant year saw Crosby deal with major injury issues.
For most of the season, Crosby was playing with a knee injury. Near the end of the year, the Raiders shut him down for the rest of the campaign due to his injury, and there may have been some motivation to do so for trade and draft pick reasons.
According to Ian Rapoport, Crosby had surgery for this injury on January 7. Rapoport mentioned that the injury would probably not allow him to be cleared near free agency:
“Sources clarified that Crosby actually underwent a minor meniscus repair, not a trim, on Jan. 7, meaning his recovery will be measured in months, not weeks. A meniscus trim is often 4-6 weeks of recovery while a repair can be 3-4 months. Crosby’s should be shorter.”
With this deal off the table, Crosby is back with the Raiders, and teams around the NFL will be interested once again. Las Vegas may not be able to get the same value that it got in the Ravens deal.
The Raiders were set to get 2026 and 2027 first-round picks, which would have been excellent assets for a young rebuilding team.
