The San Francisco 49ers enter the 2026 season determined to revitalize a pass rush that managed just 20 sacks a year ago. With Nick Bosa and Mykel Williams returning from season-ending injuries and rookie Romello Height joining the edge group via the 2026 NFL Draft, optimism is building in Santa Clara. Yet questions remain about whether the front office will pursue a major upgrade before the trade deadline — and one prominent name keeps surfacing in speculation: Las Vegas Raiders star Maxx Crosby.
According to 49ers reporter Jennifer Lee Chan of NBC Sports Bay Area, however, a deal for Crosby is highly unlikely in the near term.
“I don’t think the 49ers were ever in the mix to trade for Maxx Crosby at any point just because he’s so expensive,” Lee Chan said in a June 12 video on her YouTube channel. “He’d cost a lot of money.”
Citing NFL insider Albert Breer, Lee Chan noted that patience could be the wiser path. Should the Raiders stumble out of the gate — for example, starting 1-6 while the 49ers sit at 6-1 by Week 7 — the dynamics around a potential trade could shift. But as things stand, the financial hurdle appears prohibitive.
Veteran Free Agent Route More Realistic?
Lee Chan believes the 49ers are far more inclined to explore veteran free-agent additions rather than a blockbuster trade of Crosby’s magnitude. She pointed to the recent example of the Los Angeles Rams acquiring Myles Garrett and suggested San Francisco might look closer to home.
“Maxx Crosby, of course, could clearly play on the opposite side of Nick Bosa,” Lee Chan added. “I just don’t think they do it now. It’s just too rich for their blood. I think there’s more potential that they get Joey Bosa than they get Maxx Crosby.”
Joey Bosa, Nick’s older brother, remains an unsigned free agent. While the narrative of the Bosa brothers teaming up in San Francisco would be compelling, recent comments from Nick Bosa have tempered expectations. According to his brother, Joey appears more focused on golf than football at this stage of his career.
Maiocco: Joey Bosa Retirement a Real Possibility
NBC Sports Bay Area insider Matt Maiocco went further in his analysis, expressing skepticism that Joey Bosa will return to the field at all.
“I still don’t think [the 49ers signing Bosa] is going to happen anytime soon,” Maiocco said in a June 12 video on his YouTube channel. “In fact, I really don’t think it’s going to happen, period.”
Maiocco pointed to Nick Bosa’s remarks about his brother’s priorities as telling.
“Just the way Nick talked about Joey and how he’s more interested in concentrating on his golf game at this point than he is on playing football, it kind of leads me to believe that an NFL veteran who has made so much money playing this sport, if in late May or early June his mind is more on golf than football, there’s a really good chance that he ends up retiring,” Maiocco explained.
He added that only an overwhelmingly lucrative contract offer would likely change that trajectory.
Outlook for San Francisco’s Pass Rush
For now, the 49ers appear content to rely on the internal development of their returning stars and the infusion of youth through the draft. While the idea of pairing Nick Bosa with a high-impact veteran like Maxx Crosby generates buzz, insiders close to the team see significant financial and strategic barriers in the immediate future.
Whether San Francisco sticks to its current plan or gets aggressive later in the season will depend heavily on how the rebuilt pass rush performs once the games begin. For Raiders fans, the message from the Bay Area is clear: don’t count on seeing Maxx Crosby in 49ers red and gold anytime soon.
