The odds early this offseason were probably stacked against star edge rusher Maxx Crosby not only being a full participant for the first practice of training camp, but also doing so for the Las Vegas Raiders.
Yet there he was Wednesday pushing the boundaries, as usual.
“I haven’t gone full speed since last year, 2025 in December,” he said. “So, there’s a couple plays I felt like I hesitated slightly. But physically, I feel like I had no thought in my mind. I was flying around and moving, and it’s all the work that’s been put in. There’s so many people I could thank for that. But just taking one day at a time. It was fun to just be back out there with the guys.”
It was a tumultuous offseason for Crosby, but one which he says he grew from immensely.
He had knee surgery after last season and faced a lengthy rehab process that was somewhat overshadowed by a trade request made public through intermediaries around the time of the Super Bowl.
Crosby was eventually dealt to the Ravens, but was sent back to the Raiders in a stunning turn of events after Baltimore officials said they were uncomfortable with what they saw in medical examining him.
Now he insists he’s healthy and happy.
And he’s on a mission.
“My mindset coming into this season, obviously everyone’s talking about he’s got a chip on his shoulder. But I’ve always got a chip on my shoulder no matter what,” he said. “So yeah, of course, the whole situation, talked about it a million times. I’m done talking about it, but of course, it was added motivation. But it’s beautiful at the same time. I love being doubted. I love being told I can’t do something because I know I’m going to go to the end of the world to make it happen.”
It’s part of why Crosby has said he had the best offseason of his career despite all the drama.
“It’s a blessing in disguise,” he said. “There’s a lot of things that I learned and grew from, and that’s the beautiful thing about life. You have an opportunity every day to either feel bad for yourself and make excuses and be a victim, or you can stand up and rise and build and grow from those types of experiences. So, I feel like that’s what has built who I am and I try to inspire the people around me. It’s not about how hard it is and not how you could look at all the negativity and stuff that comes from it, or you just look at the positives and the things you can grow from, and that’s really where I just keep my mind at.
“It was just awesome to be out there. I had so much fun.”
Crosby insists he is happy back in Las Vegas and with a Raiders team that has added some young talent and appears to be building for a bright future under new head coach Klint Kubiak and with No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza set to take the reins at quarterback at some point.
He lauded some of the additions on defense, singling out Quay Walker as being the first linebacker he has played with who is around his same size.
Crosby has been clear he wants to win, and he’s more convinced than ever that he wants to do it with the Raiders.
But his individual goals remain the same as Crosby continues to chase greatness.
“I want to be the greatest at what I do. Period,” he said. “I write it in my journal every day. I’ll be the best in the world at my job and my profession. That’s why I work the way I work. It’s going to take every single one of us. Obviously, it’s all about the team. We want to win, and ultimately, that’s all that matters. So, me doing my part and some, is something I’m going to push for every single day. And greatness is measured by how many people we inspire. So, I want to bring as many guys with me, as many coaches, as many people in general that I can raise their standard and way of thinking.”
One way he tried to set that tone was reporting to camp with the rookies last week. Crosby was hanging around the team hotel just down the street from the facility and using the time to bond with some of the younger players while he ramped up his activity level to hit the ground running Wednesday.
“I didn’t have any OTA reps,” Crosby said. “I haven’t played football since literally last year, so I was excited to get back in the building and kind of get warmed up again, get back out there. I did a walkthrough on Friday with all the rookies and doing all the workouts and stuff with the rookies. So, I felt like a rookie again, which was a little weird, but it was awesome to just kind of get my feet wet before the vets got in town.”
Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on X.
