HENDERSON, Nev. — With trade speculation surrounding Maxx Crosby, new Las Vegas Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak affirmed that he wants the All-Pro defensive end to remain with the organization moving forward.
“We want him to be a part of our success going forward. There’s no doubt about that,” Kubiak said during his introductory news conference Tuesday. “He’s one of the best players in the NFL, so that’s a no-brainer to get to work with Maxx and see him continue to have success with his organization.”
Raiders owner Mark Davis also made it clear that he wants Crosby to remain in Silver and Black.
“Maxx has been a great, great Raider. He is a great Raider. He’s gone through a lifetime of development here for seven or eight years, and he still is a Raider. So, it’s all good,” Davis said after Kubiak’s news conference.
Crosby was in the building but did not attend Kubiak’s introduction with fellow teammates such as running back Ashton Jeanty, defensive tackle Thomas Booker IV and left tackle Kolton Miller.
Kubiak, however, spoke with Crosby ahead of addressing the media and was “fired up” about seeing him rehabbing from knee surgery, which he had last month.
“I got a cup of coffee with Maxx this morning. Love talking with him. And look forward to continuing those conversations,” Kubiak said.
Crosby’s name once again appeared in trade rumors ahead of Super Bowl LX when Fox Sports reported that it expected the 28-year-old edge rusher to be traded because the seven-year veteran didn’t want to go through another rebuild. The Athletic reported that Crosby was especially interested in playing for New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel.
Crosby said Friday on “The Herd with Colin Cowherd” that he intentionally hasn’t spoken publicly this offseason because he learned he “can’t control everything.”
“Now that I’m quiet, I’ve got random people making big statements for me,” Crosby said, wearing a Raiders sweatshirt and skullcap. “They’re like, ‘Maxx must’ve told them this.’ For me, I just sit back and laugh because I know my truth and when I go to bed at night, I have a smile on my face because I don’t have to explain nothing to nobody.
“I’m getting healthy. I’m in the building every single day. I’m in this building from 6 a.m. when it’s dark out, and I’m here until almost 2. … That’s all I care about, so all the noise, that’s news to me sometimes.”
Crosby’s future seemed to be in question late in the season when the club placed him on injured reserve with two games left because of a knee injury. Crosby was not pleased about the decision and left the building.
Crosby initially injured his left knee on Oct. 19 against the Kansas City Chiefs. Still, he recorded 73 tackles (28 for loss), 10 sacks and earned his fifth Pro Bowl selection.
While Crosby has been extremely loyal to the organization, he has also expressed a determination to win at the highest level. And right now, Las Vegas is entering a rebuild under Kubiak — who is Crosby’s fifth full-time head coach since he entered the league in 2019. Crosby has only made the postseason once.
If the Raiders decide to trade Crosby, he could attract a strong offer that could expedite the team’s rebuild efforts.
“I’ve had the opportunity in the last several weeks to spend a lot of time with Maxx, and I think it’s been well documented that he didn’t love the idea of not playing football, and I think you always want that from your best players,” Raiders general manager John Spytek said last month. “… I love Maxx; he embodies what a Raider is. I’ve been pretty upfront with that from the day that I sat up here almost a year ago, and I continue to believe that.”
