The Las Vegas Raiders have a situation brewing with star pass rusher Maxx Crosby. The team made the deicison to shut him down for the final two games of the season so that he has more time to recover from a knee injury he suffered earlier in the season.
At 2-13, the Raiders didn’t see any reason to risk letting him get hurt further. However, Crosby did not agree with that line of thinking and thought he could manage two more games. He left the Raiders’ facility upong receiving the news and it remains to be seen if he plans to return to the team over the final two weeks.
Ahead of the team’s Week 17 matchup against the New York Giants, Crosby seemingly threw some shade at the Raiders. While he has yet to directly comment on the team’s decision, he posted videos of him playing basketball and on a trampoline with his daughter, which showed that his knee is working fine.
Maxx Crosby appears to be sending a message that he’s healthy 🤷♂️
(via maxxcrosby/IG)
This has to be some sort of shot at the Raiders’ decision. He clearly thinks that his knee is fine, but according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, it’s expected that he’s going to need surgery. It’s easy to understand Crosby’s point of view as a competitor, but there’s really no reason why the Raiders should want him to play these final two games.
Raiders Expected Crosby to Be Upset
When the Raiders decided to shut down Crosby, they knew they were going to have a problem on their hands. Head coach Pete Carroll expected the defensive end to not be receptive of the news.
“I anticipated it all the way throughout,” Carroll said Friday. “It was exactly like you would think he would do and he should do, and I agree with him a thousand percent on how he responded. And I responded the same way, and I get it.”
Defensive end Charles Snowden has worked closely with Crosby for a couple years, and he wasn’t surprised that the Pro Bowler didn’t take the news well.
“Not in the slightest,” Snowden said. “Maxx wants to play football. When he can’t play football, he’s gonna be upset. I’m right there with him.”
Crosby Doesn’t Care About Raiders’ Pick
With a loss to the Giants in Week 17, the Raiders would control their destiny when it comes to getting the No. 1 pick. Getting that top pick would allow the team to finally find a franchise quarterback.
However, Crosby made it clear earlier in the week that he doesn’t care about the Raiders’ draft position.
“Yeah, I don’t give a (expletive) about the pick, to be honest,” Crosby told reporters prior to the news he was getting shutdown. “I don’t play for that. That’s not my job. My job is to be the best defensive end in the world. That’s what I focus on every day. Being a great leader, being an influence. Being that guy on a consistent basis for my team.”
It’s easy for Crosby to say that in the middle of the season, but if the Raiders land a franchise-changing quarterback, that would likely change his tune really quickly.
Maxx Crosby Sends Shady Message to Raiders Before Giants Game