Pete Carroll's arrival in Las Vegas had seemingly crushed the Green Bay Packers' dreams of landing Maxx Crosby.
It looked even less likely after Crosby attended Carroll's introductory press conference and spent time meeting his family. Then came the trifecta, with Crosby speaking highly of Carroll and the new era of Raiders football.
So, it's over, right?
Well, we thought so. The chances of the Packers trading premium draft capital for Crosby already seemed low. Add in all of the above, and the odds seemingly went from slim to none to just, well, none.
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero have other ideas.
Latest update has reignited the Packers-Maxx Crosby trade speculation
Rapoport and Pelissero provided insight into the futures of several NFL stars, including Crosby. They noted that while Carroll's arrival helps, the Raiders' quarterback uncertainty and roster holes might prevent them from competing in 2025.
Then came the most interesting part of the article:
"While the hiring of Super Bowl winner Pete Carroll was a step toward stability, the Raiders still don't have a franchise quarterback and have a ton of work to do to field a competitive roster. Trading Crosby for a bounty of picks would be one way to expedite that process, and Crosby might welcome the change, particularly if it's to a playoff team where he knows people (e.g. Green Bay)."
Never before have the words "e.g. Green Bay" brought so much joy. They are right to point out that Crosby would know people—Josh Jacobs and Keisean Nixon are former teammates.
It's important to note that Rapoport and Pelissero aren't reporting any interest between Crosby and the Packers, but it's still notable. They left the door open for the Raiders to trade Crosby to a playoff team, and they still name-dropped the Packers. That didn't come out of thin air.
It would make sense. The Packers have the foundations of a Super Bowl team. They have made back-to-back playoff appearances with the league's youngest roster. Their defense held the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles to a respectable 22 points in the wild-card round. The Eagles averaged 41 points in their next three postseason contests.
Adding an All-Pro pass-rusher like Crosby would transform the Packers' roster to another stratosphere. They would enter the top-five defense conversation, and Crosby's arrival would allow Rashan Gary, Kenny Clark, and Devonte Wyatt to reach new heights.
It's still unlikely that the Packers will 1) make a trade offer and 2) agree on compensation with the Raiders. Las Vegas may shut down any offer.
However, the update from Rapoport and Pelissero is notable. There's a reason why they believe Crosby could still "welcome" a move and why they used the Packers as an example.
Make it happen, Brian Gutekunst.