Maxx Crosby doesn't need every snap to leave his mark

Oct 01, 2026 at 10:18 AM

Raiders Columnist

Maxx Crosby can get used to this.

This, of course, being the pseudo-load management program in games that keeps him fresh late while enhancing his already preternatural ability to close games out.

Remember the Raiders edge rusher was noted league-wide for never - ever - leaving the field during a game. Yes, as in playing 100% of the Raiders defensive snaps.

"It's been great, you know what I mean?" Crosby told me. "It's part of it. I've been able to play a lot of snaps and it's because of the work. … I never was told to come off the field. I've always wanted to play and if I could play, I can play.

"But, I'm in my eighth season now and I have a lot of football left in my life and [the coaches], they're doing a great job. We've had a plan and we're executing it and I feel great and [we're] getting other guys some more reps as well. And then at the end of the game, that's all I've wanted and worked for my whole career - being in situations where I close out games. I've been able to do that a couple times and [I] look forward to continue doing that."

Consider: after being essentially shut out on the stat sheet the first three quarters of the season-opening win against the Dolphins, Crosby had a sack-and-a-half in the fourth quarter to help seal the Raiders' 27-13 victory. He also sat out an unheard of (for him, at the time) 10 snaps in the game.

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In Week 2, and backed by a heavy Raider Nation presence at SoFi Stadium, Crosby missed nine snaps and still spooked Chargers left tackle Joe Alt into three false starts and incurred a fourth-quarter holding penalty by Alt in the end zone that resulted in a safety. Raiders 26, Chargers 14.

Sunday in the Big Easy, Crosby missed 10 snaps on defense but again came up huge late in the 35-27 win over the Saints. First, he jumped on the football after kicking it around a few times on Malcolm Koonce's strip-sack early in the fourth quarter, with the Raiders trailing 27-22.

"I gotta definitely scoop and score that next time," he laughed. "But yeah, once I got closer to the sideline I was like, yeah, I need to get down on this because I knew it was third down and a big, big moment in the game.

"So yeah, next time I'll work on my baseball skills, my shortstop skills. But yeah, it's a big, big turning point."

Then, with just over 2 minutes to play, Crosby was credited with a forced fumble on Jeremy Chinn's strip-sack. He ended with more combined QB hits (2), passes defensed (1), forced fumbles (1) and fumble recoveries (1) than tackles (2) on the day.

Raiders coach Klint Kubiak said Crosby has bought into the plan, which has long-range goals, too.

"He knows it has winning with the end goal, winning the long game of being available for the whole season," Kubiak said. "And Maxx is about winning, so he understands that."

And while Crosby has enjoyed individual success with five Pro Bowl nods and a pair of second-team All-Pro selections, it's been a different story on the team side. Because sans that wild 2021 playoff season, in which the Raiders went 10-7, they entered this season with a combined 36-64 record since Crosby was selected in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft.

Here's what's different, though - the Raiders are not only 3-0 for the first time since 2021, they have already matched last season's win total and, with the Chiefs coming to town Sunday, the Raiders can be 4-0 for the first time since 2002.

Yes, the Super Bowl season. But that's a different conversation for a different day.

Because Crosby, who has played for five different general managers and six different head coaches with the Raiders, sees a certain calm after a turbulent offseason.

One in which the Raiders added significant pieces on defense, like linebackers Nakobe Dean and Quay Walker, defensive end Kwity Paye and draft picks like free safety Treydan Stukes to join returners like edge rusher Malcolm Koonce and defensive tackle Tonka Hemingway, for example. All for a defense that had four takeaways in the fourth quarter at New Orleans for first-year defensive coordinator Rob Leonard, Crosby's former D-line coach.

From turbulent waters to placid shores?

Remember, Crosby was shut down with two games to go last season and underwent a knee procedure, then his offseason trade to the Ravens fell through.

"For me it's always been something I want to continue growing and getting better at and evolving and that's what comes with this business. If you want to be the best at what you do, you've got to be a leader across the board, and that's something that I focus on every single day," Crosby said.

"So yeah, there's been a lot of change here, so that was a challenge for me at times. Just, you have a new coach, a different coach, and you've got to learn how he is and what he wants and try to relay certain things to the locker room. For me … the biggest thing that I've always leaned back on is just being authentic. Having great relationships with my teammates, you know, spending time outside the building."

Yeah, Crosby is already used to this.

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Las Vegas Raiders safety Jeremy Chinn (11) before practice at Intermountain Health Performance Center.