The Las Vegas Raiders were able to avoid some drama from the locker room when they hired Antonio Pierce as the full-time head coach. Defensive Maxx Crosby, one of the team’s best players, came out and suggested that a trade request could be on the table if the Raiders didn’t hire Pierce.
When the trade rumors were leaked, the team had yet to interview any head coaching candidates and it was looking like Pierce was going to get the job so the timing was odd. However, according to Crosby, there was stuff going on behind the scenes that made his trade threat necessary.
“I mean, that’s sort of what it looked like for the outside world,” Crosby told Heavy Sports. “There are some things I can’t necessarily get into, but there are a lot more details that’s between myself and everybody involved. It is what it is. I still stand on what I said. I was very, very passionate about that. I’ve been here for five years, going on six now. And I’ve earned the right to have an opinion and share how I feel. I put in the work every single day. To this day, I’m in the building more than anybody. I do it every day, I put my body on the line for this team and this organization. So you know, there are certain things going on behind the scenes. I won’t get into it. It is what it is. But we move forward. Me and Mark [Davis] are great, everybody’s great. We’re just here to win, and that’s all that matters.”
Based on Crosby’s comments, it doesn’t sound like there’s any lingering animosity between ownership and the star.
Maxx Crosby Pumped for Antonio Pierce
It appears that it wasn’t always a sure thing that Antonio Pierce was going to get the head coaching job. Regardless, the Raiders players got the coach they wanted and Maxx Crosby is thrilled.
“It’s amazing, super excited,” Crosby told Heavy Sports. “Everybody knows what my vote was, I made that very apparent. And he’s a guy that I believe in and respect. I believe all the guys feel the same exact way. So we’re all fired up and just ready to go out there and put the work in this offseason to get ready for next year.”
The Raiders went 5-4 under Pierce and had the best defense in the NFL from the time he took over to the end of the season. He clearly had the players behind him and there’s a lot of excitement for the 2024 season.
Who Las Vegas Raiders Could’ve Hired?
The Raiders didn’t cast a wide net when it came to head coaching interviews but they may have done some work on candidates behind the scenes. One name they may have looked into was former Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh.
According to a January 19 X post from The Athletic’s Vic Tafur, the Raiders did speak with Harbaugh’s agent.
Harbaugh ended up getting hired by the Los Angeles Chargers and may have never had a serious interest in Las Vegas. Perhaps Mark Davis was strongly considering making a run at the coach until he felt pressure from his players or a lack of mutual interest.
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Raiders DE Maxx Crosby Opens up About Trade Rumors