The Las Vegas Raiders are about to embark on a new era with Pete Carroll taking over as head coach.
Whether superstar pass rusher Maxx Crosby wants to be along for that ride will be a talking point throughout the new league year.
Crosby’s name figures to come up often in trade speculation leading up to the 2025 NFL Draft in April. And the 27-year-old with 59.5 sacks over six pro seasons is sure to ignite plenty of fodder after posting a cryptic tweet on Saturday afternoon.
“I Will Be A Champion” read the tweet, which ended with a curious choice of emojis: an eagle and a diamond.
With the Philadelphia Eagles gearing up to face the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX next week, you can imagine the response Crosby’s choice of emoji drew from Philly fans.
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“If you force a trade to the Eagles you will,” one fan responded to Crosby’s post.
Adding fuel to the fire: The Eagles have a major projected need at pass rusher entering the 2025 season. The Super Bowl will likely be veteran Brandon Graham’s final game in the NFL, starter Josh Sweat’s contract is about to expire, and the team is likely to seek an exit plan from $51 million blunder Bryce Huff.
The Eagles have a star-studded offense, led by Saquon Barkley, A.J. Brown, Jalen Hurts and DeVonta Smith. They also have several rising stars on defense in Jalen Carter, Zack Baun and rookies Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean. Obviously, adding Crosby to this mix would make life absolutely miserable for opposing QBs.
While Crosby talked up Barkley and the Eagles on a recent podcast, none of this is based in any form of reality at this point. The Eagles aren’t courting Crosby a week before they play in the Super Bowl, and Crosby’s next tweet will likely be him trolling fans over what his eagle emoji was meant to represent. He has used the eagle emoji in a variety of contexts, including when discussing his Serbian heritage.
Still, the timing is certainly curious. For now, Eagles fans can dream: Both for a Super Bowl title on Feb. 9 and one of the best pass rushers in football possibly hinting interest in their team.
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