For as great a player as he is, Las Vegas Raiders star defensive end Maxx Crosby has unfortunately made an annual habit out of sustaining a fairly serious injury. He hurt his knee in Week 3 of the 2025 campaign, and the ripple effect of his eventually needing surgery was massive, as fans know well.
That knee injury, or rather the long-term ramifications of it, ended up causing the Baltimore Ravens to back out of their blockbuster deal for Crosby earlier this offseason. Luckily, Raiders fans know that Eric DeCosta and Co. are full of it, and the defensive game-changer should be just fine.
Exactly when Las Vegas would get its premier piece up front back was a mystery, however. Yes, he's been back at the team facility and working incredibly hard, as expected. Crosby has attended the offseason program, even if he hasn't participated, as a great leader does.
But Kubiak just updated fans on when they can expect to see Crosby back on the field, and it's exactly when they thought it would be.
Las Vegas Raiders HC Klint Kubiak says Maxx Crosby should be back by training camp
Kubiak touched on a variety of topics during his Wednesday press conference, from Taron Johnson and Nakobe Dean's absence, to his early impressions of Fernando Mendoza. While all that was news, Kubiak's answer to a question about whether they expect Crosby to return by training camp wasn't.
"Yeah, we do. That's the goal," Kubiak said. "He's still the first one in this building every day working. He's a leader on our team and when he's out there, you feel his presence. And yes, we're counting on him being there for training camp, and I wouldn't be surprised if Maxx was ahead of schedule."
Classic Crosby.
Not only is the five-time Pro Bowler taking his rehab seriously and doing everything that he can to come back healthy, but he is doing more. Crosby was also on the sideline during OTAs on Wednesday and very engaged, and another reporter asked Kubiak about that.
"Yeah, that's just in his DNA. You didn't have to ask him to do that," Kubiak explained. "He's going to be there as much as possible, and he knows that that we're counting on him to be a leader. So, he's showing his face, but he's also very engaged in the meetings and he's one of those guys you got to say 'Whoah' to. You got to pull him back. He might jump in there in team period if you're not watching. He's that competitive. Really fired up to get to coach him."
Leadership, as Kubiak said, is in Crosby's DNA as much as hard work and determination are. This holy trinity is something that every NFL franchise hopes to have in its cornerstone players, and Crosby has each of them in spades, which understandably fires Kubiak up.
Raider Nation isn't worried about Crosby being behind because he missed time during spring or summer; fans can rest assured that he is taking mental reps, being an active participant in team meetings and grinding film. He'll know Rob Leonard's defense better than anyone when he's back.
So, don't expect to see Crosby on the field before the team breaks for summer. That is, of course, unless he sneaks onto the field, as Kubiak jokingly asserted. But just as fans thought, Crosby will be back in plenty of time for a season in which he has a lot of people to prove wrong. And we can't wait.
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