Fans of the Las Vegas Raiders are well-versed on the current happenings with their superstar defensive end. Maxx Crosby was shut down for the season on Friday in what many are calling the ultimate sign of tanking.
Crosby took exception to this decision and reportedly left the building and did not attend practice. Pete Carroll confirmed that this happened, and the team covered its bases by placing Crosby on IR and saying they’re looking forward to 2026. It was also reported that he’ll need knee surgery.
Plenty have weighed in on the drama surrounding Crosby in the last few days, but Crosby himself has been incredibly quiet. He, in a weird way, broke his silence on Saturday evening, and fans are hoping that his Instagram posts aren’t what they think they are.
Maxx Crosby’s Instagram story posts have caused a stir
On Saturday evening, less than a day before the Raiders take on the New York Giants in Week 17, and more than a day after he was officially shut down, Crosby took to his Instagram story and posted some videos of himself at home with his wife and daughter.
Now, after Crosby was nominated for his fifth consecutive Pro Bowl earlier this week, he spoke to reporters about what the honor meant to him and how far he had come. He also noted some of the significant sacrifices he has made to get to this point as a player.
“It's a blessing, bro. It means a lot. I've put everything into this, bro. I've sacrificed so much, especially time away from my daughter, away from my wife, away from my loved ones to maximize this career,” Crosby said. “And if I didn't have them in my corner and understanding what I'm trying to accomplish, it wouldn't be possible,"
That is obviously a very vulnerable moment from Crosby, which fans admire. With that in mind, let’s take a look at the content of what he posted on his Instagram on Saturday evening.
The first two pictures are Crosby on a trampoline with his daughter in what looks like his backyard. The next handful, outside of a picture of him baking with his daughter, appear to be him playing basketball on the court at his home.
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The crux of this “issue,” if we can even call it that, is that Crosby is shooting fadeaways, playfully juking his daughter and side-stepping or jumping in every video. Some fans have taken this to mean that his knee is quite fine.
Other fans have taken this as a petty shot from Crosby at the organization, sort of a “look at how fine my knee is,” kind of post. But fans have to remember that Crosby can play. He played every down of an NFL game just six days prior to these posts.
It was never in question whether Crosby could tough it out and be there for his team. This was a decision meant to protect the ultra-dedicated Crosby from himself and give him a jumpstart on offseason recovery before a slate of incredibly meaningless games.
Now, the hope is that Crosby is just finally getting to spend some time at home with his daughter during the season, and he is soaking up that opportunity. In reality, he’s going fairly light on the court, and there is no video of him jumping on a trampoline, just still pictures.
So, this seems like a relative nothing, even if it is actually being portrayed as a petty shot at the organization and a Bat Signal to other teams that he is perfectly fine. Raiders fans certainly hope it’s the former, at least.
A bitter departure with Crosby would be agonizing for Raider Nation, as he has been fiercely loyal to the organization even in the darkest times. But every person has their breaking point, and it’s hard to imagine this season not wearing on a warrior like Crosby.
This recent drama has made for some interesting offseason storylines, as the team could definitely capitalize on his trade value, and Crosby hasn’t made his typical re-up to the fans that he is all-in in Las Vegas.
All fans have is this series of Instagram story videos and pictures that can certainly be left up to interpretation. Hopefully, it’s not a petty shot at the front office, but nothing would surprise Raider Nation anymore, given the organizational hole that Las Vegas is in once again.