For much of the offseason, Maxx Crosby avoided talking about matters pertaining to the Las Vegas Raiders. Of course, now we all know why, as he had quietly requested a trade. And the franchise did oblige, at least until the Baltimore Ravens didn't, so now Crosby is back in Las Vegas.
All that is to say that Crosby wasn't exactly around for all of the Fernando Mendoza hype over the last few months. Yes, a veil of secrecy was up for all those inside the building, but Crosby hadn't talked about Mendoza since the college football season. A comment on that front was long overdue.
With Las Vegas officially making Fernando Mendoza a Raider on Day 1 of the 2026 NFL Draft and Crosby solidified back in the fold, however, the superstar edge rusher sent a message to the new franchise quarterback. It wasn't much, but he's clearly welcoming Mendoza with open arms.
Las Vegas Raiders fans will love Maxx Crosby's simple but beautiful welcome message for Fernando Mendoza
Mendoza, not too long after the card was turned in, made a simple post on social media, attaching a picture of him with his new Raiders hat on, surrounded by family and friends, with the following message: "Let’s get to work Raider Nation!"
Crosby's response?
"LFG!!!! Welcome To The Darkside Brother 🏴☠️🏴☠️🏴☠️Maxx Crosby
@fernandomendoza"
Again, it's not much. But it feels like the elephant in the room has finally been addressed. Other than Kirk Cousins all but leaking the Raiders' plans in his introductory press conference by accident, mum has been the word in Las Vegas regarding Mendoza.
But fans know that Crosby is a believer in Mendoza based on what he said about him during the college football season. It's hard to imagine Crosby not instantly loving and respecting an insatiable worker such as Mendoza. They are cut from the same cloth.
Although their personalities could not be more polar opposite, this has all the makings to be a great pairing in Las Vegas. Crosby is the ultra-cool veteran leader with skins on the wall and a need to see things before he believes them. That is understandable, given his NFL career up to this point.
Mendoza, however, is the quirky and fairly nerdy youthful leader with a great college résumé but nothing proven yet in the professional ranks. He projects to fans as a relentless optimist who will certainly be the most positive and entertaining leader that the Raiders have had in years.
And who can blame Mendoza? He joined an elite list on Thursday of players who won the Heisman Trophy and a National Championship before being the first overall pick in the draft that year. As Crosby said, Mendoza is now on The Dark Side. But let's keep it light, eh?
Add us as a preferred source on Google