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The Las Vegas Raiders made sweeping changes to the front office and coaching staff this offseason but even the new men in charge knew they had to take care of Maxx Crosby. The former fourth-round pick out of Eastern Michigan had a breakout year that saw him named Second-Team All-Pro. He was arguably the team’s best player last season and was headed into a contract year.
Instead of the new brass taking the season to get a closer look at Crosby and seeing what to do with him later, general manager Dave Ziegler handed him a four-year extension that paid him $94 million, per Spotrac. While that made him one of the highest-paid players in the NFL on an annual basis, that doesn’t tell the whole story. Out of that $94 million, only $26.56 million was guaranteed at signing.
For reference, Pittsburgh Steelers star pass rusher T.J. Watt was guaranteed $80 million at signing when he landed his new contract last year. Former NFL scout John Middlekauff was baffled at how the Raiders were able to get him to agree to such a small guarantee.
“I think it’s one of the most team-friendly deals in the history of the league. … Trent Williams, the best left tackle in the league, got $60 million. … I feel for Maxx Crosby. This is one of the worst deals I’ve ever seen,” Middlekauff said on the “Haberman & Middlekauff” podcast.
Middlekauff went so far as to say that Crosby should no longer work with agents CJ LaBoy and Doug Hendrickson
“I think his agent deserves to be fired immediately,” Middlekauff said.
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Crosby Still Making Big Money
While Crosby likely could’ve and should’ve gotten more guaranteed money, that doesn’t mean he’s not making plenty of money. On a per-year basis, he’s the fourth highest-paid defender in the NFL behind Watt, Joey Bosa and Myles Garret. That’s not bad for a former fourth-round pick. The other three highest-paid defenders were all first-round picks.
Crosby is also just 24-years-old. If he keeps playing at a high level, he’ll certainly be getting another big contract before he retires. Also, none of us are privy to the negotiations so perhaps this was the best the defensive end was going to get. Becoming the fourth highest-paid defensive player in the NFL is better than heading into a contract year and getting hit with the franchise tag when the season is over.
Is Crosby the Face of the Raiders?
Crosby showed very promising flashes throughout his first two years in the league. He even tied the Raiders’ rookie sack record at 10.0 during his first year. However, he took a major step forward in Year 3. He went from being a promising young player to a bona fide star.
There’s an argument to be made that he is the face of the Raiders. As the quarterback, Derek Carr could also claim to hold that position but Crosby seems to embody everything the team is about. Plus, fans universally love him while there’s still a section of the fan base that isn’t high on Carr.
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