Raiders GM on the Crosby Fallout

Raiders GM John Spytek joined the show and Rich went straight at the Maxx Crosby situation. What is the status between the front office and the defensive end right now? Spytek called it great. He framed it like Crosby never really left. The transaction never happened. Crosby came in his first day back and sat in the GM's office, and they talked things through like they always do.

Spytek said the line of communication between him and Crosby has always been open. Some conversations have been easy, like handing over a new contract. Others have been challenging. He did not name them. He kept saying the word honest. He said there has been growth in those conversations and that Crosby is working his tail off, ready for training camp, ready to play good football for many years.

Then Rich pushed. Is the growth Spytek referenced tied to the free agent class the Raiders put together between the announcement and the trade not going through? Did the moves in those few days smooth anything between the team and Crosby? Spytek pushed back softly. He does not think a bridge was needed. He said Crosby ending up back on the roster felt like adding another free agent on top of the class they had already built. Extra piece. Bonus.

Rich went one more step. The knee. Was the condition of Crosby's knee what cooled Baltimore's interest? Spytek ducked it. No opinion, he said. Rich gave him a way out and Spytek took it. He described where he was when he got the word that the trade was dead. In the office, where Mark Davis would expect him to be. He delivered the news calmly to Davis, Clint, and the rest of the ownership group. Davis said okay, and away they went.

Spytek admitted he knows Rich is looking for more drama and said that is just not how he operates. He tries to be stoic. Flatlined. He said he was not always good at that in his life, but he has gotten better at controlling what he can control. You take the information as it comes and you make the best decision you can.

Rich pressed on the cap. What happens if the Raiders did not have the space to absorb Crosby's contract after the free agent spree? Spytek said that would have presented a different problem. But the team structured the earlier deals with enough flexibility to always leave room. That is how you stay ready for the unexpected, whether that is a cut or a trade that swings back your way.

Rich closed it out clean. So Crosby is a week one Raider in 2026. Spytek confirmed it. Crosby is healing up, running around, and has a lot of good football ahead of him.