The Las Vegas Raiders’ 2025 season has been filled with disappointment, inconsistency, and underwhelming performances across the board. One player who entered the year with hopes of reestablishing himself as a core defensive piece was pass rusher Malcolm Koonce. However, as USA Today recently noted, Koonce could instead find himself on the trade block as the deadline approaches.
Raiders’ Malcolm Koonce Listed as a Potential Trade Asset
After missing the entire 2024 season due to a knee injury, Koonce entered 2025 on a one-year, $11 million “prove-it” deal with the Raiders.
The short-term contract allows him to showcase that his late-2023 surge wasn’t a fluke. During that stretch, Koonce emerged as one of the Raiders’ most productive defenders, notching six sacks in his final four games and flashing the pass-rush potential the team envisioned when they drafted him in 2021.
Unfortunately, things haven’t gone according to plan. Through five games this season, Koonce has registered only one sack, falling short of expectations. He also has a 48.9 overall PFF grade, which ranks 148th out of 169 qualified pass rushers.
For a defense that was hoping to pair him effectively with Maxx Crosby and generate consistent pressure, the lack of results has been disappointing. Still, digging deeper reveals some reason for optimism.
Koonce’s 12.5% pressure rate ranks alongside productive rushers like Chicago Bears’ DE Montez Sweat and Miami Dolphins’ OLB Bradley Chubb. He’s generating disruptions, which is good even if those pressures haven’t translated into sacks. But still, it’s a decline from his 15.6% rate he produced during his breakout campaign two years ago.
For a team like the Raiders, stuck at the bottom of the AFC West and potentially facing another midseason reset, that dip may be enough to justify sending him away for draft capital.
A Valuable Rotational Option for a Contending Team
USA Today points out that Koonce is the type of rotational pass rusher that draws interest from teams seeking defensive depth. Pass rushers are always in demand, particularly for playoff hopeful teams looking to add fresh legs to situational in-game events.
Koonce’s contract structure, a one-year deal with no long-term commitment, makes him an attractive, low-risk, high-reward target.
The Raiders may also play a role in Koonce’s future. Head coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Spytek could look to reshape the roster, prioritizing players who fit the scheme and were productive this season.
In that scenario, Koonce may not be viewed as a foundational piece worth extending beyond 2025. That could open the door for Las Vegas to recoup draft capital, especially if Koonce begins to show flashes of his former self over the next few weeks.
For now, his trade candidacy underscores the broader uncertainty surrounding the Raiders. A once-promising pass rusher trying to come back to relevance has struggled to find his footing. If Koonce can string together a few strong performances, the Raiders might have a difficult decision to make, but if not, he could be the Raiders’ prime trade asset.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Raiders’ $11M Starter Listed as a Potential Trade Asset appeared first on Heavy Sports.