Maxx Crosby Gives Glowing Endorsement of Raiders' Kubiak

• "I'm not into making predictions, getting too high, too low," Crosby said. "I've been there before and I'm always going to be overly optimistic. If you don't believe, you have no chance. For me, coming into every single season, I believe we play this game to win."

• "I think Klint has done an awesome job. [Defensive coordinator] Rob Leonard has done an awesome job. We have new coaches all over the place. We have a lot of new energy and it's different but we're learning on the fly."

• "We got a lot of new guys on the roster," Crosby continued. "It's a process, and you just have to buy into it every day. You can't look too far down the road. You can't look in the past. All that is irrelevant. It's all about where your feet are at. Being present and focused on getting better because that's going to give us the best chance when it comes to Sundays."

Main Takeaways

This is a fascinating dynamic, as the 28-year-old pass rusher was thought to be heading to the Baltimore Ravens in a trade that would have allowed the Raiders to collect two first-round picks. As everyone knows by now, the Ravens backed out of the deal after Crosby inevitably failed his physical, as he had recently undergone surgery to repair a meniscus injury. This trade falling through after Las Vegas orchestrated several signings complicated the situation.

Both sides have appeared content to work together, despite the Raiders being viewed as a rebuilding team. However, based on who Las Vegas added to the roster this season, with Crosby's reinstatement, it could be a surprise team in 2026.

In terms of coaching, although we haven't seen Kubiak on the Raiders' sidelines, early indications prove that ownership may have made a franchise-altering decision by hiring the former Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator as the head coach.

While Crosby and Las Vegas are currently in lockstep, depending on how the season unfolds prior to the trade deadline, the two-time All-Pro pass rusher could be moved. It will certainly be a topic of discussion throughout the season, and the Raiders will be a team to watch because of those circumstances.