Maxx Crosby Makes Feelings Crystal Clear About Raiders Future

Maxx Crosby returned from offseason knee surgery with a limited workload and still made his presence felt as the Las Vegas Raiders opened the 2026 season with a 27-13 win over the Miami Dolphins.

The five-time Pro Bowl defensive end played his first game since Dec. 21 against the Houston Texans. He finished with 1.5 sacks, pushing his career total to 71, third in Raiders history behind only Greg Townsend and Howie Long.

Crosby was on a snap count after January surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee. He played 45 or 46 of the Raiders’ 56 defensive snaps, well below the 94 percent-plus share he typically posted the previous four seasons.

The production still came. Crosby generated eight pressures, including a fourth-quarter sack that helped close out the win. Pro Football Focus graded him at 90.5 for the game.

The performance came after one of the strangest offseasons of Crosby’s career. The Raiders agreed to trade him to the Baltimore Ravens in March for two first-round picks. Baltimore later voided the deal after Crosby failed a physical tied to the same knee.

Crosby has repeatedly called the episode water under the bridge. Ahead of Sunday’s game at the Los Angeles Chargers, he addressed how the team is managing his snaps and what the last several months taught him.

“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 something he helped me the most with is, especially these last couple of years, just like mastering the art of being calm,” Crosby said.

“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.”

The comments, first reported by Sam Warren of The Athletic, reflected a player who spent months rehabbing while rumors swirled. Crosby has said he never wanted to leave Las Vegas in the first place.

Head coach Klint Kubiak and general manager John Spytek have signaled they will continue to monitor Crosby’s workload. The 29-year-old has undergone multiple procedures in recent years, including ankle surgery that ended his 2024 season early.

The Raiders added pass-rush help in free agency with Kwity Paye, who recorded two sacks in the opener. That support could allow the staff to keep Crosby fresher later in games.

Las Vegas also is waiting on tight end Brock Bowers. The 2024 first-round pick missed the Dolphins game after a meniscus procedure. ESPN’s Dan Graziano reported the injury is not considered overly serious and that Bowers could return as soon as this week, though the team will not rush him. The latest projected return is Week 4 against Kansas City.

Bowers did not practice Wednesday. Kubiak called him day-to-day.The Raiders travel to SoFi Stadium on Sunday looking to start 2-0 in the AFC West. Crosby’s ability to stay effective on a managed snap count will be one of the storylines worth watching.

Crosby has made clear he intends to keep stacking productive days. After everything that happened between December and March, that approach now includes trusting the people around him.