Though he's only been in the league for five seasons, Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby is the textbook definition of an NFL Ironman. Consider, that throughout his half-decade-long career, Crosby has dealt already dealt with two broken hands, a torn labrum in his shoulder, a torn UCL in his thumb, and a bursa injury in his left knee suffered in Week 2 that required offseason surgery… and still, Maxx Crosby has yet to miss a single game in his career. In fact, despite suffering that brutal knee injury so early in the season, Crosby still managed to play 95 percent of the Raiders defensive snaps in 2023.
We're in a golden age of edge rushers, with Micah Parsons, TJ Watt, Myles Garrett, Khalil Mack, the Bosa Brothers, Josh Allen (the linebacker, not the quarterback), Danielle Hunter, and yes, Maxx Crosby leading the way. And while Crosby's place atop that list isn't necessarily a certainty, there are two things we know for sure: A) There might not be a tougher human being alive than Maxx Crosby, and B) He's hell-bent on putting his name at the top of the list, and leaving no doubt about it in the process.
“My one goal is to be the best in the world, pound for pound, and I talk about it, I'm about it, I live it every single day and whatever street I've got to travel to get to where I want to go, I'm going to do that,” the Raiders defensive end said this week while serving as a counselor at the ‘Sack Summit' in Las Vegas, per Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com. “So I'm exhausting every single resource I possibly have to have the best season of my career.”
Exhausting every resource includes undergoing a pair of surgeries at the conclusion of the 2023 season — a season in which Crosby set a career high in sacks (14.5), tackles (90), tackles for loss (23), and quarterback hurries (20) — which was followed by a start to his personal offseason program just weeks later. The old saying goes that there's no rest for the weary, and it's abundantly clear that Maxx Crosby subscribes to that.
“You talk about fight camps [lasting] maybe three months, four months; I do it 365 [days],” Crosby said. “So that's why I feel like, at the end of the day, my consistency is what separates myself and it will only keep getting me better because I don't leave any stone unturned.”
Maxx Crosby's on-field production has made him an All-Pro and a fan favorite in Las Vegas. His attitude is what has made him the face of the franchise and the embodiment of what a Raider is supposed to be.
The Face of the Las Vegas Raiders
Along with offensive lineman Kolton Miller, Maxx Crosby is one of just two Raiders left on the roster from when the team was still playing in Oakland. Miller has been a nice player, a six-year starter at tackle. But Crosby has been transformative. And everyone inside of the Raiders locker room knows it.
“When you talk about Maxx Crosby, you're talking about the best defensive player in the league, probably in the history, that I've ever seen,” Raiders senior defensive assistant Rob Ryan said recently. “Now, I've only been around it 30 years, but I mean, he's that good.”
“If we don’t match his effort and his energy, we’re screwed,” Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce said back in February during an appearance on Crosby's podcast (h/t Carter Landis of SI.com). “I’m not going to slow him down. You need to catch up with this dude. I’m trying to catch up with him.”
Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams expressed a similar sentiment during his appearance on Crosby's podcast.
“When I say I’ve never played with a dude that is as locked in and self-motivated and determined to be the best as this dude right here. Never in my life, bro,” Adams said back in May (h/t Carter Landis of SI.com).
All of the praise in the world will never stop Maxx Crosby from continuing to work, but even he knows that he's built differently than most of his peers.
“I’m not like everybody else, to be completely honest,” Crosby told himself throughout the season, willing himself to continue playing through pain and suffering (h/t Levi Damien of USA Today). “I just had to keep moving.”
And until he calls it a career, it's hard to envision Maxx Crosby slowing down.
Follow Us
Subscribe
