Cowboys Fans Are Talking About Maxx Crosby Again: Here’s why and if you should be taking it seriously
The Dallas Cowboys and Maxx Crosby discourse is back after some salary cap maneuvering from the team. Here’s what you should know.
The Dallas Cowboys and Maxx Crosby were a thing in March when the team made three blockbuster offers to the Las Vegas Raiders. Well, it’s September and they’re somehow still a thing. And the reason why is pretty clear.
On Thursday, the Cowboys more than doubled their salary cap space by restructuring the contracts of TE Jake Ferguson, CB DaRon Bland, and DT Kenny Clark. According to ESPN’s Todd Archer, the moves push the Cowboys to north of $33 million. Notably, that’s just over the cap hit they would take on if they trade for Crosby.
In other words, the Cowboys could make it work cap-wise. But should you get hyped for a potential star arrival or is this about something else? The answer is not so simple. Let’s break down why this could hint at a move and why it likely doesn’t.
Why this could indeed hint at a Crosby trade
For starters, not only did Jerry Jones said the Cowboys “did not walk away” from Crosby back at the start of training camp, but he indicated they weren’t concerned about the physical that caused the Baltimore Ravens to back out of their trade. And again, the Cowboys made three offers to the Raiders, including one including a first and second-round pick.
They like him. Additionally, their near $33 million cap space is quite the coincidence with Crosby’s projected cap hit if traded ($31 million). Combine that with an uncommon timing for contract restructures, and you can see the logic. According to NFL Network’s Jane Slater, the last time the Cowboys restructured contracts this close to the season was in 2021.
Finally, these aren’t no-brainer candidates for restructures. None of the three players havbe long-term futures guaranteed with the Cowboys despite recent extensions for Bland and Ferguson. They’re players that quite frankly, are under some level of evaluation this season. Bland’s injuries have limited his playing caliber and Ferguson wasn’t nearly as explosive in 2025 as he had been in the past.
The Cowboys pushing money on their deals into the future couldn’t have been a “automatic” decision.
Why this likely doesn’t hint at a Crosby trade
So if the last time the Cowboys restructured deals in similar fashion in 2021, it’s only logical to look at what they did then? The answer is… not much. Not that year at least. The Cowboys could simply like the flexibility ahead of the season. Especially because it comes at no risk: unused cap space can be carried over into the following season.
Which leads me to this: The Cowboys currently have the eight-lowest cap space at $5.2 million, according to Over the Cap. They would indeed benefit from the carry over if it comes to that.
So no, the financials don’t necessarily imply they’re plotting something. They might be staying ready, sure. But that’s a different thing.
Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, the Raiders appear set to start the season with Crosby on their ranks. Depending on how their season goes early on, they might throw Crosby on the trade block and maybe the Cowboys are buyers at that point. But a trade before Week 1 would be quite the curveball.
I wouldn’t get too excited, but I will say the Cowboys’ cap space coincidencing with Crosby’s magic number is odd.
