This is the song that never ends. Yes, it goes on and on, my friend. NFL Insider Jay Glazer was talking at Radio Row at the Super Bowl on Wednesday, and he reported that Maxx Crosby’s time with the Las Vegas Raiders is most likely done. This, of course, got Detroit Lions fans excited about the possibility of the Lions trading for him.

If this were ever going to happen, it was going to be in 2024 before Crosby signed a massive extension with the Raiders. We know that the Lions inquired about a trade with Las Vegas at the 2024 trade deadline, but, like everyone else, they were told no.

Now, making this deal might be cheaper on the trade assets side, but his contract is a nightmare. He has a $30 million cap hit in 2026 that is fully guaranteed. So you have to restructure Crosby’s deal in 2026.

If you restructure the deal and do something crazy like add max void years, you can get that cap hit down to around $5 million, but then you are pretty much handcuffed to the idea that you’re going to extend him in 2027 when he’s 30. When you do that, you tie yourself to Crosby until 2030, when he’s 33 years old.

You’re just kicking the can down the road. You still have to pay him all this guaranteed money, even if you do it later. There’s no hiding from it.

I know Lions fans have an appetite for a big trade for an edge rusher, and while I don’t think it happens, two other star edge rushers make a lot more sense via trade. Let’s break them down.

New York Giants edge Kayvon Thibodeaux

If I were Brad Holmes, I would 100% make a deal to get Thibodeaux to Detroit for multiple reasons. The first is that the Giants are probably open to moving him since they have Brian Burns and Abdul Carter. The other big reason is that you get a year of contractual control over Thibodeaux. He’s playing on his fifth-year option worth a nice little $14 million.

If he works out, then you’re in control of the extension, and it shouldn’t be anything market-breaking unless he has an insane 2026 season. You can likely get the deal done for a 2026 second-round pick.

Pittsburgh Steelers edge Alex Highsmith

A little on the older side. Highsmith will be 29 when the season starts in September, but he’s been a phenomenal player for years. In 2025, he had 44 pressures and 10 sacks across from T.J. Watt. So you know he’s capable of taking advantage of one-on-ones. Something the Lions really need.

The cap hits are somewhat high in 2026 and 2027, but the dead money is low. If the Lions were to restructure and maybe add a year in 2028, this contract would look much more palatable than what they would get from Crosby. Again, though, it might cost them as high as a second-round pick to get it done.

At the end of the day, the Thibodeaux trade is the most realistic, but I also can see the Lions prioritizing finding their next edge in the draft and dedicating funds to fixing the offensive line and maybe a couple of other issues in free agency.