Maxx Crosby discusses leadership role on young Raiders teammates

As a new era dawns for the Las Vegas Raiders, many fans are restless and hoping the changes made this offseason can finally lead to sustainable success.

The Raiders have not made the postseasons since the 2021-22 season, leading to the team being a constant source of frustration. They have the talent necessary to succeed, but lack of leadership and instability have made it a challenge. With Pete Carroll and John Spytek bringing championship pedigree and structure to the Raiders, this has to be the moment they take the next step.

This means the Raiders must see players rise to the challenge, and superstar edge rusher Maxx Crosby is sure to be a focal point of on-field success.

Maxx Crosby has been the heart and soul of the Raiders for years, and he is ready to embrace that role again.

On his podcast “The Rush,” Crosby discussed the challenges that come with being the face of a NFL franchise, as well as what motivates him to surpass those expectations.

“Being the leader and being the face of the franchise, that’s something I pride myself on a lot,”  Crosby said. “If we want to win, that’s what we have to do. It has to be all of us. Football is the ultimate team sport. So, evolving not only as a player, but as a leader, as an example, all of those things matter to me. That’s what I’m about. Elevating and being limitless in everything I do, and that’s what I’m focused on. So, it’s been really awesome, for real.”

With Crosby signing a three-year, $106.5 million extension on Mar. 5, the Raiders guaranteed their leader will remain in Las Vegas for the foreseeable future.

The impact of that decision has been felt already, with Crosby reportedly being ‘in the lab’ with many of his younger teammates. The most notable player under Crosby’s tutelage is 2024 second-round pick Jackson Powers-Johnson, who is projected to earn the starting center role this season after the release of Andre James.

“He’s got all the ability, got all the talent; it’s about tying it all together,” Crosby said on Powers-Johnson. “So, having him there, meeting me there at 6:15 every morning, getting after it, putting in the work and suffering, him going through that s— is real. He’s suffering. It sucks. It’s hard some days. He looks at me like, ‘This motherf—-er,’ but he’s responding. He keeps showing up. So, I’m really excited for a guy like him. He had a rough start, but he’s grown a lot.”

Crosby is pushing his teammates to be the best versions of themselves, and both the fans and new regime hope that leads to wins on Sundays.