During the season opener against the Miami Dolphins, the new-look Las Vegas Raiders looked good on both sides of the football, with a mix of solid play on offense and defense, leading to a 14-point win to get the 2026 NFL season underway.
Although the team was firing on all cylinders offensively and defensively, superstar defensive end Maxx Crosby clearly was on a snap count, playing his first game since Dec. 21 against the Houston Texans.
Crosby’s 2025 season came to an end prematurely, as he suffered a torn meniscus in his left knee, which required surgery.
Maxx Crosby Opens Up About Crazy Offseason
Despite being on a snap count to get him up to speed in his return from knee surgery, Crosby left his impact on the game, recording 1.5 sacks, which puts him at 71.0 sacks for his NFL career.
Ahead of Week 2’s matchup against the division rival Los Angeles Chargers, Crosby talked about playing under the snap count in Week 1 and coming off what was a crazy offseason for the veteran pass rusher, via Sam Warren of The Athletic.
“I think maturity is part of it too. Everyone knows it was a crazy offseason to say the least. I think I grew in a lot of ways. Something my guy Tim Grover, I’ve been working with him for a long, long time now. And
“I think maturity is part of it, too,” Crosby said. “Everyone knows it was a crazy offseason, to say the least. I think I grew in a lot of ways. Something my guy Tim Grover, I’ve been working with him for a long, long time now. And something he helped me the most with is, especially these last couple of years, just like mastering the art of being calm. You can’t press and be the best version of yourself. You’ve just got to do everything in your power to put yourself in that position to be the best version of you. But also you’ve got to trust others and the ones that around me like (DC Rob Leonard) and my teammates and the guys that are going to war with me. So that’s really where I’m at mentally and felt great. And I just want to continue stacking days.”
Crosby went through something that few stars do during their NFL careers, with the elite defensive end getting traded to the Baltimore Ravens, but then that trade got rescinded, sending him back to the Raiders.
Although it was an awkward situation once it was official he would remain in Las Vegas, Crosby has handled oddest offseason of his career with the upmost professionalism, as he has embraced being a Raider once again.
Brock Bowers Injury Isn’t ‘Overly Serious’
One of the Raiders’ primary concerns heading into Week 2 is the status of star tight end Brock Bowers, who is dealing with a knee injury that required a procedure ahead of Week 1.
According to Dan Graziano of ESPN, Bowers’ injury isn’t considered “overly serious” moving forward, which obviously is great news for the Raiders.
Raiders tight end Brock Bowers’ knee injury is not overly serious, from what I am told. The team felt he could have played last week if necessary, and it’s possible he returns this week. But the organization is determined to be careful with this very important player and not play him until they’re 100% certain he’s not being affected by the knee. I believe the latest you’ll see Bowers is Week 4 against the Chiefs, but again, it could be sooner than that.
After missing the season opener against the Dolphins, Bowers’ return becomes a major question, as they’ll have a tough task ahead against the Chargers.
It remains to be seen when Bowers gets back on the field, but all signs point to that return being sooner rather than later.
Maxx Crosby Sends Strong Message After Turbulent Raiders Offseason