Dallas Cowboys fans have some familiar items on the agenda this season: Root like hell for Dallas to get back to the playoffs and enjoy every ounce of misery that befalls their biggest rivals. But they can add one more rooting interest to the list this year: Hope the Raiders lose enough games to leave Las Vegas with no choice but to consider trading Maxx Crosby before the deadline.
It all starts on Sunday, but the Cowboys moved one step closer to a Crosby trade on Wednesday when Adam Schefter and Ian Rapoport reported that Raiders superstar tight end Brock Bowers will miss 1-2 weeks after undergoing a meniscus trim. Everyone is rooting for Bowers to make a swift recovery. The NFL is better when he's on the field. But the unfortunate reality of the situation is that this is good news for Dallas.
Brock Bowers is one of the Raiders' most important players
Once again, nobody is rooting for Raiders injuries. The ripple effect is just impossible to ignore. Las Vegas isn't expected to win many games this season, and if Bowers' absence gets that ball rolling earlier than expected, it could push them closer to seller territory before the November deadline and potentially reopen the Crosby door.
It's impossible to overstate Bowers' importance to the Raiders. Even with Ashton Jeanty in the backfield, Bowers was arguably the lone bright spot in Las Vegas' offense in 2025. Injuries limited him to eight games, but he was a monster when healthy, piling up 680 receiving yards and seven touchdowns in eight games.
That came on the heels of a historic rookie season in 2024, when Bowers caught 112 passes for 1,194 yards and five touchdowns en route to first-team All-Pro honors. Two years into his career, he might already be the best tight end in football. Any time he spends on the sidelines is great news for the Cowboys.
An 0-3 start for the Raiders is possible
Without Brock Bowers, the immobile Kirk Cousins will now rely on Tre Tucker, Jalen Nailor, Michael Mayer, and Jack Bech. That's a contender for the worst assortment of pass-catchers in football. Bowers is more than just the glue holding everything together. He's the player who makes the entire passing game functional. Without him commanding attention in the middle of the field, there isn't a single player defenses have to fear.
Football is the ultimate "expect the unexpected" sport, but Cowboys fans should suddenly feel pretty good about the Miami Dolphins' chances of knocking off the Raiders on the road. Then, in Week 2, Las Vegas travels to Los Angeles to face a Chargers team that would be a tough out even with Bowers healthy. It's not difficult to envision the Raiders starting 0-2 before a Week 3 trip to New Orleans. We can think of easier places to steal a road win than the Superdome.
Cowboys' interest in Maxx Crosby is well-documented
An 0-3 start certainly wouldn't guarantee anything, but it could turn the Maxx Crosby trade conversation from Cowboys fan manifestation into something Las Vegas actually has to entertain.
America's Team nearly won the Crosby sweepstakes in March, as the Baltimore Ravens outbid Dallas despite Jerry Jones making multiple competitive offers. But after Baltimore pulled the rug out from under Las Vegas over concerns about Crosby's medicals, the star pass rusher remained a Raider. Jones then confirmed at the start of training camp that those red flags hadn't diminished the Cowboys' interest in Crosby.
Everyone now assumes that Jones will make another run at Crosby, but the Raiders bottoming out will be crucial to getting Las Vegas back to the negotiating table. Bowers' injury could be the domino that sets everything in motion.
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