The 2026 NFL offseason delivered one of its biggest moves on Friday evening when the Las Vegas Raiders agreed to trade Maxx Crosby to the Baltimore Ravens for two first-round picks.
While the Raiders are pleased with the return, the deal has also drawn smiles across the AFC West, especially from Sean Payton and the Denver Broncos.
Sean Payton Offers To Pay For Private One-Way Flight For Maxx Crosby
Since entering the league in 2019, Crosby has developed into one of the NFL’s most disruptive pass rushers, and few teams have felt his impact more than the Raiders’ division rivals. The Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs, and Los Angeles Chargers have all struggled to contain him over the years.
Even while battling a knee injury last season and playing two fewer games, Crosby still recorded 73 tackles and 10 sacks while earning another Pro Bowl selection.
His dominance against AFC West opponents was one of the reasons the Ravens were eager to acquire him. Baltimore’s new head coach, Jesse Minter, is well aware of Crosby’s impact after facing him regularly while serving as the Chargers’ defensive coordinator over the past two seasons.
Not surprisingly, the rest of the division was happy to see Crosby leave. According to NFL insider Jay Glazer, Payton even joked about it.
“Sean Payton called me soooo fired up the Raiders traded Maxx Crosby and even just texted Maxx saying he’s offering to pay a private plane one-way flight to Baltimore, happy to see him out of the division. Funny, but also added, “You are an inspiration to watch and compete against,” Glazer revealed.
Reacting to the development, Broncos beat reporter Zac Stevens wrote, “Sean Payton thrilled Maxx Crosby is out of the AFC West.”
Raiders reporter Nick Walters added, “Utmost respect for Maxx Crosby from AFC West competition. The Ravens pay up in part thanks to new HC Jesse Minter, who just saw Crosby twice a year as Chargers DC.”
Meanwhile, ESPN’s Ryan McFadden reacted simply: “LMAO.”
A closer look at Crosby’s numbers explains why Payton and the Broncos are relieved. In 14 career games against Denver, Crosby has recorded 16.5 sacks and 25 quarterback hits, including three sacks of Bo Nix across four matchups.
“If and when Crosby gets in Hall of Fame, his work against the #Broncos will be highlighted on his resume,” wrote Denver columnist Troy Renck.
“Awesome,” former NFL guard and analyst Mark Schlereth added.
Parker Gabriel, another Broncos beat reporter, also shared a story from Payton about just how difficult Crosby was to deal with.
“Classic Sean. He told a story this season about how he has plays tagged for situations when certain rushers are out of the game. But doesn’t work vs. Crosby because he never comes out. A lot of respect and a lot of joy to have him out of the division,” Gabriel wrote.
Crosby now immediately becomes the Ravens’ top edge rusher and one of the most impactful defenders in the AFC, which already features elite pass rushers such as Myles Garrett and T.J. Watt.
With the addition of Crosby, Baltimore instantly strengthens its defense and positions itself as one of the early favorites to contend for the Super Bowl next season.
