Raiders Legend Reggie Kinlaw Weighs In on Maxx Crosby Wanting Out and Fernando Mendoza as a Draft Pick

The Las Vegas Raiders are in line for another massive overhaul this offseason. They have fired head coach Pete Carroll, and now nobody knows what they will do to fill the position. They also hold the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft, and it is expected that they will draft quarterback Fernando Mendoza to lead the offense from his very first year. That uncertainty is part of the reason the club’s star defender, Maxx Crosby, may want out.

The trade speculations of Crosby started near the end of the 2025 season when the Raiders decided to shut him down for the final two games of the season. The team cited injury concerns, but it was clear it was a tanking move aimed at securing the No. 1 pick in the draft. Crosby reportedly disagreed with the plan at the time and even stormed out of the facility in protest.

Now, with the franchise entering a period of uncertainty, Crosby could very well want out. Raiders legend Reggie Kinlaw weighed in on the situation recently, and surprisingly, he understood where Crosby would be coming from.

“If Maxx wants to go, I can understand that. I mean, this guy’s got the winning mentality in his head. He’s 100%, goes full speed every play, and he wants to win,” Kinlaw said during his chat with Mike Dixon of Vegas Sports Today.

“Personally, I ain’t never been on a losing team, and I can understand if you want to go somewhere and start winning,” added the former defensive tackle.

Kinlaw truly never knew what it was like to be on a losing team. During his six seasons with the Raiders, he went 58-31 and won two Super Bowls. So, being a part of this current state of the Raiders football team could easily leave him thinking about greener pastures. That’s why, perhaps, he is siding with Crosby.

Kinlaw also added that Crosby is a great player who does a lot for the Vegas community. Many people in the area love him and would be devastated to see him traded. The former DT went on to say that Crosby is the face of the franchise, before touching on the possibility of Mendoza being drafted and eventually becoming the face of the team in Crosby’s place.

“If Mendoza comes, Mendoza’s gotta work his way up to be the face of the franchise,” Kinlaw asserted.

“Maxx Crosby is a great player; he’s good in the community, everyone loves him, and he’s going to be the face of the franchise.”

Former Raiders’ DT and 2x Super Bowl champ Reggie Kinlaw shares his thoughts on Maxx Crosby and Fernando Mendoza.

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— Vegas Sports Today (@VegasSportsTD) February 1, 2026

There’s no question that Mendoza will need to earn his respect in the Raiders locker room (if he’s drafted by the team, of course). But we’d argue that he’s already earned a bit of respect in the NFL world with that crazy 12-yard TD run he had in the National Championship. That play pretty much secured his status as the #1 pick. 

At the end of the day, Crosby’s status is of the utmost concern for the Raiders. He’s one of the best defenders in the league and seems about as motivated as he can be to play for the team. In his seven years with them, though, he’s experienced just one winning season. 

Most professional athletes want to have a storybook career where they spend their entire time in one city and become a legend. But the reality is that it is a rare occurrence. Too often, team performance, coaching instability, or even contract disputes can get in the way of a player’s future with an organization. This all seems to be the case with Crosby at the moment.