Things have been kept rather cordial during the Las Vegas Raiders' training camp thus far. The only controversy has been positional competitions shaking out in unexpected ways or players missing time due to injury. You know, simple, ordinary, mundane stuff for late summer in professional football.
But some sparks flew during Friday's padded practice in Las Vegas. As fans well know, quarterbacks are untouchable during NFL training camps. But star defensive end Maxx Crosby doesn't subscribe to this code of conduct, as he was the instigator in a dustup with Kirk Cousins at practice.
Before we dive into the specifics of this confrontation and what has been said about it, two things should be pointed out. One is that this was more than just a shouting match; hands were laid on each other, short of punching. And two, Raiders fans should love this energy from two of their leaders.
About time we got a fire started ahead of the 2026 NFL season!
Raiders' Maxx Crosby-Kirk Cousins altercation was a sign of passion Klint Kubiak's team needed to show
After eight training camp practices, these guys are sick of hitting each other. They've been going at it in the summer heat for over a week, and the preseason can't come fast enough for these Raiders to take their aggression out on another team. With the game still days away, an in-house spat occurred.
Based on multiple reports from those who watched it unfold, during a two-minute drill, Crosby hit Cousins on the arm while he threw, which resulted in an interception for Jeremy Chinn. It wasn't the first time that Crosby had hit the quarterback's arm during the session.
Cousins reportedly took exception to this, and the two began arguing, with Cousins even grabbing Crosby by the collar. That is a fairly significant dustup, especially for a starting quarterback to get into this time of year.
Klint Kubiak didn't seem too bothered by the altercation, though. But he did keep things in perspective about the team's leaders not letting their frustration boil over too much when the real games start in just over a month.
"That's training camp," Kubiak told reporters. "Those are two leaders of our team going at it. So, that is part of camp. Obviously, you fight in the game, you throw a punch in the game, especially, you're out of the game. So, we got to be smart. Treat it like a game."
Cousins seemingly struggled a bit during Friday's workout, throwing multiple interceptions. Crosby's hitting his arm certainly didn't help with his accuracy, and it broke an unwritten rule in practices. Perhaps all of this was just a bit too much for him to handle, and Cousins exploded a bit.
It did a few things for Cousins, though. Not only did he bounce back and look "surgical" during the rest of the two-minute drill, according to The Athletic's Sam Warren, but it helped the veteran quarterback gain some favor among his offensive teammates.
"It's energy, man. It's energy," Michael Mayer said to the media. "That's our starting quarterback right now, and you want him to defend your team. You want him to have some edge to him, which he does. He's always had that, since the first day I met him when he came in here. I don't want him getting thrown out, I don't want him getting a flag. But you gotta defend yourself."
Part of this turnaround, of course, had to do with the fact that Crosby was taken out for the rest of practice, as reported by Silver & Black Sports Network's Jesse Merrick. But it sent the right message to the team, as these two leaders showed some fire. It surely got both sides of the ball riled up.
And they weren't the only two that fought on Friday. Warren also made mention of guard Caleb Rogers and defensive tackle Jonah Laulu getting into a scuffle, which resulted in the latter throwing a punch at the former. It got shut down quickly, but clearly, these players are getting antsy.
If we're being honest, Kubiak seems to be a great leader with the right approach and a focus that is unwavering. But he doesn't strike me as the most fiery guy. So, if the head coach isn't going to be the one lighting everyone up, then it needs to come from the team's veteran leaders.
That's what we saw on Friday.
Crosby is known to be a nuisance at practice, as the old story about Jon Gruden losing his mind with him as a rookie comes to mind. But Aidan O'Connell actually said it best last week, as it pertains to Crosby and how he operates at practice, when speaking to the media.
"I don't like Maxx a lot throughout the week during the season, and I love him on Sundays."
Cousins is probably feeling that exact same thing right about now. And that is completely fine. Raiders fans should love this kind of passion and energy, as long as things don't boil over into an all-out brawl where people can get hurt or relationships can be broken.
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