Getty Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis.
The Las Vegas Raiders have a potential problem on their hands. The team has yet to interview a single head coaching candidate and it’s clear some of the players are getting uneasy.
Many of the team’s top players have voiced support for interim head coach Antonio Pierce to get the full-time head coaching job. Among the most vocal supporters is star defensive end Maxx Crosby. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero, Crosby is willing to take drastic measures to ensure Pierce gets the job.
“The Las Vegas Raiders also continue to weigh a potential pursuit of [Jim] Harbaugh, who led his alma mater to its first national championship in the College Football Playoff era on Monday night,” Rapoport and Pelissero wrote in a January 13 report. “However, sources say there remains support among many in the extended Raiders family for interim coach Antonio Pierce — including in the locker room, with All-Pro edge rusher Maxx Crosby will explore a trade request if Pierce isn’t retained, according to sources.”
Crosby has become the face of the Raiders in recent years and is putting all of his chips in the middle of the table to try and get Pierce the job. Owner Mark Davis likely won’t take this leak lightly.
Las Vegas Raiders Can’t Afford to Lose Maxx Crosby
Maxx Crosby isn’t the type of player to stir up drama. However, the Raiders already went against his wishes in 2022 when they didn’t hire former interim head coach Rich Bisaccia. He had the support of the players but Mark Davis decided to hire Josh McDaniels instead, who didn’t even finish two seasons before getting fired.
Crosby has emerged as the Raiders’ best player over recent years. He led the team with 14.5 sacks this season and was named Second-Team All-Pro by the Associated Press. He’s one of the premier defensive players in the NFL. He’s also developed into a team leader and captain. He’s not the type of player the Raiders could just replace.
Crosby is under contract through 2026 so the Raiders don’t have to grant a trade request if it happens. That said, having one of the top players in the NFL disgruntled isn’t going to be good for a locker room.
What Will Las Vegas Raiders Do?
Shortly after the report of a potential Maxx Crosby trade request was revealed, it was quickly leaked to ESPN’s Adam Schefter that Antonio Pierce is the favorite to be the team’s head coach. The Raiders are slowplaying their head coaching search as they want to hire a general manager first.
The Crosby news doesn’t help their team in their pursuit of a general manager. Who’s going to want to take this job if they can’t pick their head coach and one of the team’s best players isn’t leaking out his frustration? This news should help interim general manager Champ Kelly in his hopes of getting the full-time job.
Mark Davis likely isn’t looking for a locker room uprising so Pierce has a strong chance of getting the full-time job. However, he’s still going to go through his process so Crosby is going to have to be patient.