It is hard enough to slow down Las Vegas Raiders star Maxx Crosby. But it'll be even more challenging during the 2026 NFL season, as the All-Pro defensive end has a chip on his shoulder following the very public and embarrassing ordeal that was the trade-that-never-was with the Baltimore Ravens.
But for some reason, just days before the Raiders take on the Miami Dolphins in Week 1, Dolphins starting left tackle Patrick Paul has poked the bear even more. When speaking to the Miami media about his matchup with Crosby, Paul took things in a direction that he frankly shouldn't have.
"Beating him to his spot; getting your hands on him. Getting him off his game. He likes to play with a lot of swagger, so just getting him displaced off his game," Paul said when asked about how he intends to stop Crosby. "I feel like, yeah, [trash talk plays into it, too]. He's a hothead, so a lot of those things, you can get into his game with that."
Calling Crosby a hothead before the game? In the words of ESPN 8 "The Ocho" announcer Pepper Brooks (Jason Bateman's character in the 2004 movie Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story): "It's a bold strategy, Cotton. Let's see if it pays off for him." Something tells me that it won't.
Dolphins OT Patrick Paul wrongfully poked the bear with Raiders' Maxx Crosby
In fairness to Paul, he did praise Crosby in this interview, calling him a great player and acknowledging that the defense runs through him. He also touched on the fact that Crosby has a great motor and the players around him feed off of it. Knowing that, why would Paul give him more bulletin board material?
To me, that answer is simple: Paul hasn't yet played Crosby in his NFL career. Sure, he's seen him on tape and got some special teams reps during the Raiders-Dolphins showdown in 2024, but he hasn't been tasked with blocking the most high-effort player in the league. He was unwise to poke the bear.
Crosby is fiery; every fan knows that. He doesn't need external motivation to metaphorically bash an offensive lineman's head in, as he's one of the most uniquely driven players in the NFL and a true maniac when he's between the white lines. And Crosby hasn't played a real game in quite some time.
Yes, he practiced all summer, but Crosby hasn't played in a true live setting since Week 16 of last season, before he was infamously shut down for the year. His return to action was a long time coming, and he was already raring to go and surely planning on cracking skulls and being extra aggressive.
He didn't need to be called a "hothead" by Paul to bring this level of intensity, but Crosby is going to catch wind of this quote, and he will certainly make the young Dolphins offensive tackle regret ever saying it. With just one season starting under his belt, it was a bold move for Paul to say this.
One that history says will not pay off too well.
Maxx Crosby is a menace, even more so when he's riled up
Again, Crosby is always riled up, and he constantly plays with unwavering effort. But you can see him ratchet things up even more in rivalry games, specifically against Patrick Mahomes. The two go at it for all 60 minutes and never stop exchanging whatever blows they can, be they physical or verbal.
In high-leverage moments, Crosby always comes through for the Raiders. That is because he plays his best when his back is up against the wall, and the pressure is on him the most. So, Paul making this matchup a thing will not go in his favor, as Crosby will feast with this at centerstage in his mind.
His peers and adversaries all agree that Crosby is a frustrating player to go up against because of his motor, but also because he is frequently trying to get under his opponents' skin.
"Yeah, Maxx is annoying," Kansas City Chiefs OL Trey Smith laughed. "But it's a good annoying. Man, he's so disruptive."
"I hate blocking Maxx Crosby because you don't get a play off," said Indianapolis Colts TE Mo Alie-Cox.
Does that sound like a guy who needs more provocation? He already had an incentive to give more than his all on opening weekend against the Dolphins, as he needed to prove to Raiders fans that he's still got it and dedicated to them, to the Ravens that they were wrong, and to the NFL that he's back.
Now, he needs to get a second-year starter in Paul back for calling him a hothead. This isn't some big criticism, and maybe not even one that bugs Crosby. But Paul should know that putting Crosby's name out in the media for any reason, or acting like there is a plan to stop him, is cause for payback.
Paul was a good player last year for Miami, but he's young and was imperfect, giving up 25 pressures and four sacks in 2025. I wouldn't be shocked if Crosby ate into those totals in a major way in just the first game, as the Raiders star will make sure that Paul knows that he dug his own grave.
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