Aug 29, 2021; Santa Clara, California, USA; Las Vegas Raiders head coach Jon Gruden walks on the field during a break in the action against the San Francisco 49ers in the second quarter at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

Raiders' Maxx Crosby Speaks on Jon Gruden's Exit

Originally posted on Las Vegas Raiders on SI
By Michael Canelo | Last updated Jun 16, 2025 6:00 PM ET

The Las Vegas Raiders have the best defensive player in the National Football League in Maxx Crosby. Crosby has been the best for the last few seasons, and he is only looking to get better. He is just entering his prime and has many more seasons to dominate the league like he has been. Crosby is something special which is why the Raiders locked him up for a long time this offseason.

But Crosby would not be a Raider if it were not for his former head coach, Jon Gruden. Gruden and the Raiders had a history. Gruden had two different stints with the Raiders, first in Oakland from 1998-2001 and then from 2018-2021. Gruden was the coach who drafted Crosby and gave him the opportunity to live out his dream of playing in the NFL.

Heading into the draft when Crosby was picked, a lot of teams were not looking at him or even had him on their draft board. But Gruden did. And in the fourth round, Crosby got the call by Gruden and it was one if not the best draft picks that Gruden made while being a member of the Raiders franchise. Gruden was high on Crosby, and now it is clear why he was.

Unfortunately, Gruden's second stint with the Silver and Black came to an end in 2021 after an email surfaced from Gruden's past. It was horrible timing when Gruden was released by the team because that season, the Raiders had gotten off to a fast start, and they were looking like the real deal.

Crosby recently spoke about the day that Gruden got released on the former NFL player, Johnny Manziel, podcast.

"It makes me sick for him [Gruden]," said Crosby about Gruden not coaching in the NFL. "The dude is addicted to football. He is a football lifer. Gruden was so good to me, and when that situation happened, I remember it so vividly. We started the year so well, we beat Baltimore in OT, we went to Pittsburgh, we beat Pittsburgh... we were feeling really good. We are cooking, we are feeling great."

"Going into the week we were playing Chicago, that is where the email leaked ... it became a big thing. And you can tell that Gruden was ... up over it. And he felt so bad and he apologized in front of the team, and he was in tears. He is like, I am sorry, this is not me, this is ten years ago."

"Then after the game against Chicago, that is when all the emails started leaking. And it just got worse and worse, and it was just happening so fast. And as a team, we are like what is going on. It is everywhere ... That night, I got a call from [Mike] Mayock, and Gruden resigned."

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This article first appeared on Las Vegas Raiders on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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