Las Vegas Raiders superstar defensive end Maxx Crosby has remained loyal to the franchise despite another disastrous campaign during the 2025 NFL season. A player of his caliber is going to end up in trade talks when the team is as bad as it is, but Crosby has never wavered in his commitment.
Crosby, once again, is standing out this year and having another elite season. He has recorded 59 total tackles, 23 tackles for loss, 8.0 sacks, 17 quarterback hits, one interception, two forced fumbles, and six passes defended. This is utter dominance from the Raiders' $106.5 million man.
As a result, he appears destined for his fifth consecutive Pro Bowl appearance for Las Vegas. Ever since the trade deadline, there has not even been the slightest indication that Crosby won't be a Raider for his entire career. His latest comments on Lane Kiffin, however, could put fans at less ease.
Maxx Crosby's comments on Lane Kiffin could create discomfort among Raiders fans
Nearly everyone in the football world has weighed in on Kiffin's decision to leave the Ole Miss Rebels for their rival LSU Tigers, ahead of their first-ever College Football Playoff appearance. For Raiders fans, the move is a reminder of the drama his departure from the franchise brought two decades ago.
Crosby's stance on the move, however, could create some discomfort among Raider Nation.
"You can't get mad at Lane Kiffin for taking the better job. He's literally turned Ole Miss completely around, and he made the best decision for himself and his family," Crosby said. "People are like, 'It's selfish, it's all about Lane Kiffin, he just abandoned the players.' It's like, okay, switch it around, if you're having that much success and doing that good of a job, and somebody says, 'Hey, we'll give you more resources, more money at a better place with everything you want and some,' you're going to take it."
RELATED: Pete Carroll finally caved on what Raiders fans have begged for all year
While Crosby's comments have some sound logic behind them, they will do little to ease the minds of Raiders fans who just had to deal with trade rumors surrounding their superstar edge rusher leading up to the deadline.
Las Vegas is clearly not in a position to compete for a Super Bowl in the next few years. While there aren't many other teams that could offer Crosby more money, almost every other team in the NFL would be able to provide him with more resources to win a championship.
Clearly, Crosby understands the notion of looking out for his best interests and positioning himself for more success in a better situation. If he can apply that logic to Kiffin, how long will it be until he applies that to his decisions surrounding the Raiders? Hopefully, never.
That doesn't mean Raider Nation should be expecting Crosby to ask for a trade during the offseason. It will, however, create some unease for a fan base that is used to hearing its superstar preach about loyalty. Kiffin's move to LSU was anything but that, and Crosby advocating for it isn't wrong, but a bit unnerving.