There has been one constant for the Las Vegas Raiders over the past few seasons, and that has been the absolute dominance of defensive end Maxx Crosby. Over the past six seasons, Crosby has established himself as one of the premier defensive players in the NFL and a cornerstone of this Raiders franchise.
Coming into this offseason, there were some concerns about Crosby’s future with the franchise. He had made it known that, while he wants to remain with the Raiders, he wants to compete in the postseason and play in important games. Crosby has no desire for a rebuild, and it wasn’t clear what direction the Raiders were going in.
But now there are no questions, and Crosby will be with the Raiders for the foreseeable future as the two sides agreed to a contract extension that will make Crosby the highest paid non-quarterback in NFL history, via Ryan McFadden of ESPN:
Four-time Pro Bowl defensive end Maxx Crosby agreed to a three-year, $106.5 million contract extension with the Las Vegas Raiders that makes him the highest paid non-quarterback in NFL history, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Wednesday.
The extension, announced without terms by the Raiders, includes $91.5 million guaranteed, sources told ESPN, and keeps Crosby under contract through the 2029 season.
Maxx Crosby has been the cornerstone of this Raiders franchise for many years now and is undoubtedly worth this money he has received. He has made the Pro Bowl in each of the last four years and is one of the most disruptive forces in the league.
His sack numbers don’t always show it and aren’t quite as gaudy as the likes of Myles Garrett or TJ Watt, but Crosby lives in the backfield. Over the past five seasons, Crosby’s 89 tackles for loss rank second in the NFL, trailing only Watt’s 90. Additionally, his 197 total tackles over that same time frame are the second-most of any pass-rusher, again trailing only Watt.
In addition to what he brings on the field, Crosby has also grown as a leader over that time. Crosby sets the tone for this Raiders team, and everyone in that locker room follows his lead. This number will likely be surpassed soon, with the likes of Micah Parsons and Trey Hendrickson also due for major extensions, but the Raiders did right in locking down Crosby for a very long time.
Maxx Crosby most optimistic he’s been since joining the Raiders
Maxx Crosby made known what his desires are for the Raiders, and the star defensive end planned on having some conversations with the Raiders’ brass this offseason. And in the aftermath, he came away happy.
Crosby said on his podcast that he is “the most optimistic I’ve been” since joining the Raiders following the additions of Pete Carroll and John Spytek as head coach and general manager, respectively. Now that he’s been taken care of, he is ready to do everything he can to get the Raiders into playoff contention.
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