Raiders' Maxx Crosby opens up about Raiders managing his snaps amid trade rumors

The fact that the Las Vegas Raiders seemed to have Maxx Crosby on a so-called "pitch count" during the club's 27-13 Week 1 win over the Miami Dolphins did little to silence what has been referred to as "exhausting" trade rumors regarding the star pass-rusher. 

Specifically, Pro Football Reference shows that Crosby was on the field for 82 percent of the Raiders' defensive snaps. While speaking with reporters on Wednesday, he suggested he's just fine with how much he played in Week 1. 

Maxx Crosby "grew in a lot of ways" amid unique offseason

"I think maturity is part of it, too," Crosby explained about his mindset, per Ryan Ward of Heavy. "Everyone knows it was a crazy offseason, to say the least. I think I grew in a lot of ways." 

Crosby thought he was joining the Baltimore Ravens in March until Baltimore backed out of sending the Raiders two first-round draft picks for his services due to reasons related to the meniscus repair he needed following the 2025 season. 

It's been no secret that the Raiders planned to manage Crosby's workload due to his knee, but some nevertheless seem to be trying to convince themselves that Las Vegas wants to keep him healthy mostly for a future trade. 

A Wednesday update revealed that "the Raiders represented familiarity and stability for Crosby after the jolt of the Baltimore deal falling through." Crosby insisted throughout the summer that he "never wanted to leave in the first place" and wants "to be the best Raider I can be for as long as I possibly can be." However, whispers continue to suggest that Crosby could be sent to a contender before the Nov. 10 trade deadline arrives.

Against the Dolphins, Crosby tallied 1.5 sacks. 

Maxx Crosby wants to "continue stacking days" with the Raiders

"Something my guy, (performance coach) 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. You can’t press and be the best version of yourself," Crosby continued. "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 (defensive coordinator 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." 

Crosby and the 1-0 Raiders will next play at the 0-1 Los Angeles Chargers this coming Sunday. As of Thursday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook had Las Vegas as a 6.5-point road underdog for that matchup.