Maxx Crosby has had a whirlwind of an offseason. After a long career with the Las Vegas Raiders, he finally requested a trade, which the team granted.
The Baltimore Ravens agreed to send two first-round picks to Las Vegas for Crosby, but ended up backing out due to a failed physical. Before the trade fell through, Crosby was very excited to play for a perennial contender.
One of the most appealing aspects of playing for the Ravens would be teaming up with two-time MVP Lamar Jackson. Crosby is one of the top pass rushers in the NFL, but even he admitted recently that he has a hard time catching Jackson.
“I want to take a really good pursuit angle,” Crosby said at the Sack Summit. “And, for me, that delusion in my head, I’m like, (expletive) the quarterback. Besides Lamar Jackson, I’m running their (expletive) down no matter what.”
Crosby Has Message for Fernando Mendoza
Crosby won’t be playing with Jackson, but he’s now going to get a chance to play with Fernando Mendoza, who was the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Crosby has played with a lot of different quarterbacks over the years, so he’s hoping Mendoza can finally solve that problem.
He had a message for the young quarterback.
“If you’re not genuine, guys pick up on that real quick,” Crosby said on “The Rush.” “College is different. You’re growing as a man, you’re trying to figure out who you are and evolve as a leader, and you’re still going to school. You’re just trying to figure out life and how to operate. But once you get to the league, everyone’s grown men. Dudes have full families. They have different types of motivations, and everyone’s coming from a different walk of life. So being genuine, you’ll never go wrong. And trust me, I’m a little weird too. I do a lot of (expletive). I’m not saying you’re weird, but I’m off the wall sometimes, and I’ll say some (expletive).”
Crosby Named 4th-Best DE in NFL
Crosby is coming off of a couple of injury-riddled seasons, but has remained a productive player. He hasn’t put up huge sack numbers in recent years, but he’s one of the most dominant run defenders in the NFL.
This led to people in the NFL ranking him as the fourth-best defensive end in a poll conducted by ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
“Crosby has 69.5 sacks in seven seasons, joining Greg Townsend (107.5) and Howie Long (84.0) as the only Raiders to surpass the 60-sack mark since 1982,” Fowler wrote. “Crosby’s 35 career games with five or more pressures since entering the league in 2019 are the most in the NFL during that span.”
Crosby is going to have a major chip on his shoulder this season due to the Ravens drama. He has plenty of motivation to have a huge season. The Raiders are still rebuilding, but they’re heading in the right direction. A big season from Crosby could help jumpstart the rebuild in Las Vegas, especially if Mendoza is the real deal.
Maxx Crosby Has Admission About Lamar Jackson After Failed Ravens Trade