Getty Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby.
Las Vegas Raiders second-team All-Pro defensive end Maxx Crosby never shies away from making it known he wants to beat the division-rival Kansas City Chiefs. That was no different on February 7 when he was making his Super Bowl pick.
“Selfishly, I want the Chiefs to win so we can be the ones to take them down and take them off that pedestal,” Crosby said while on NFL Network.
Since Crosby entered the NFL, the Raiders are 2-8 against the Chiefs. So it’s understandable why he strives to beat them despite their latest matchup resulting in a win for Las Vegas on Christmas Day. But with Kansas City heading to its second-straight Super Bowl, Crosby knows Las Vegas has to string together wins against the Chiefs, as the defending Super Bowl champions are the gold standard in the NFL right now.
“I take it really personal,” Crosby continued. “I’ve got the ultimate respect for Mahomes and Chris Jones and all those guys, but they’re the ones standing in our way. So, we’re looking forward to seeing them again next season.”
Maxx Crosby Wants to Play With Chris Jones
Speaking of Crosby and Jones — Crosby told Heavy Sports’ Austin Boyd on February 1 that he’d love to play alongside Jones, who is set to hit free agency for the first time in his NFL career.
“I mean, I would take Chris Jones in a heartbeat,” Crosby said. “I know Chris really well. So I mean, there are a lot of guys in free agency, a lot of great defensive tackles. It would be it would be awesome. I mean, Chris Jones is one of the best in the game, if not the best at what he does. I know he’s a Chief, but at the end of the day, if you want to come to the Raiders, come on down. I’m all for it.”
According to Spotrac’s calculated market value, Jones’s value is three years and $85.4 million, which is an average annual value (AAV) of $28.4 million. Per Nate Taylor of The Athletic in July, before settling on the one-year deal with Kansas City Jones wanted a contract that paid him $30 million annually.
The Raiders are projected to have $43.3 million in cap space for the 2024 season, per Spotrac. That leaves Las Vegas with plenty of room to sign Jones, who would make an elite duo alongside Crosby.
However, Chiefs general manager Brett Veach made it clear during Super Bowl week that re-signing Jones and fellow defender L’Jarius Sneed is at the top of his list of priorities this offseason.
“Sometimes I look at our situation and I’m like, ‘I don’t know how we’re going to do this,’ but we usually work through things systematically and have a list of the priorities,” Veach said on February 8, via ESPN’s Adam Teicher. “Certainly, Chris and LJ are at the top of the list.”
What to Know About the 2024 Super Bowl
The 2024 Super Bowl between the Chiefs and 49ers will take place in Las Vegas on February 11 at 5:30 p.m. Central time and will be available to watch on CBS.
According to Heavy’s AI-powered projections model, Kansas City (-5) has a 34% chance of defeating San Francisco.