The Las Vegas Raiders, entering Week 12 at 2-8, are looking for any signs of hope they can find for the remainder of the 2025 NFL season. They may have just been given one, considering who the next opponent on their schedule is.
Las Vegas is taking on a Cleveland Browns team this Sunday that is also 2-8, and on Wednesday, Cleveland announced that rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders will be making his first career start against the Raiders in Week 12 at Allegiant Stadium.
Playing quarterback in the NFL is tough, and having your first start, as a rookie, on the road against Maxx Crosby will only intensify that challenge for Sanders. The Raiders' leader, Crosby, has already issued a friendly warning to Sanders.
Maxx Crosby hopes to make Shedeur Sanders' first start miserable, despite friendship
On a recent episode of his podcast, The Rush with Maxx Crosby, the veteran defender talked about his relationship with the Sanders family. While he is close with them, he sent a clear message to the rookie ahead of Sunday's clash.
"Regardless, we have a job to get done, and we got to make his life miserable," Crosby said. "We got to shut down their offense for us to have a chance. I got a ton of respect for, obviously, OG Deion (Sanders) and his whole family. They're great people, and it'll be fun."
Crosby and Sanders, who both grew up in Texas, have spoken on numerous occasions about their friendship. Their older brothers, Myles Crosby and Deion Sanders Jr., were even roommates and teammates for the SMU football team back in 2014.
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That’s when Maxx Crosby first met Shedeur Sanders, when the two were both teenagers. Their friendship has since grown, as Sanders even appeared on Crosby’s podcast days before the 2025 NFL Draft.
Despite their history, it’s well understood in sports that there aren’t any friends between the lines. Crosby will be trying to get after Sanders like he would any other quarterback, and the rookie will be trying to carve up Las Vegas' defense in an effort to establish himself in the NFL.
Geno Smith also has a relationship with the Browns' quarterback. On Wednesday, Smith explained that he’s known Sanders since the younger quarterback was in high school, and he’s happy that his guy is getting the chance to start. Smith did add that it’s unfortunate Sanders’ first start is coming against Las Vegas.
These relationships will surely be on display before and after the game, but during the action, it will be two struggling teams desperately fighting for a win, and two quarterbacks trying to deliver on expectations and silence critics.