Star defensive end Maxx Crosby was entering the final year of the four-year extension he signed with the Las Vegas Raiders in 2022. The expiring deal created trade buzz around the four-time Pro Bowler. But the Raiders put an end to any speculation by locking up Crosby on a three-year, $106.5 million contract.
Crosby’s new deal comes with $91.5 million guaranteed and with an AAV of $35.5 million, the seven-year veteran is now the highest-paid non-quarterback in football history. Yet despite the mega-deal, Crosby isn’t satisfied with the status quo in Las Vegas.
“It’s one thing to be the face of a franchise… But I want to be a winner,” Crosby declared, per Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Maxx Crosby envisions a culture change for the Raiders
The Raiders selected Crosby in the fourth round of the 2019 draft and he has long maintained that he wants to remain with the organization for his entire career. However, the Raiders haven’t done a lot of winning during Crosby’s tenure. Las Vegas has reached the playoffs just once since he joined the franchise, losing in the Wild Card round to the Bengals in 2021.
In fact, the Raiders have just two playoff appearances over the last 22 years. The lack of winning left some doubt about Crosby's future with the team. However, a culture change seems to be taking place in Las Vegas. The team hired Pete Carroll as its new head coach and brought in John Spytek as GM. These moves left Crosby feeling optimistic about the Raiders’ future. The two-time second-team All-Pro also acknowledged that Tom Brady’s presence as a minority owner inspired confidence.
Crosby has been a remarkably durable player throughout his career, never missing a start in his first five seasons in the league. However, he missed five games last year as he struggled with injuries for the first time. This led to Crosby's worst statistical output since his sophomore season. But he still managed 7.5 sacks and 45 total tackles in limited action.
Crosby will enter his age-28 season in 2025 and his current deal will expire when he’s 30. He’ll likely still have plenty of football left in him at that point. If Carroll can get the Raiders turned around and create a winning culture – and Crosby continues his stellar production on the field – there’s a good chance he will be a Raider for life.
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