What a weird Saturday morning it was to wake up and realize that Maxx Crosby is no longer a member of the Las Vegas Raiders. Reality has fully set in at this point, as the Baltimore Ravens are considered one of the AFC's frontrunners again, and Las Vegas has four picks in the top 75 at its disposal.
Crosby, as he has been all season, has remained incredibly quiet since he was dealt. For as emotional as these weeks and months have been for Raider Nation leading up to the eventual deal, it's tough to imagine how Crosby himself is feeling. Surely, it's been a whirlwind.
But while he remains silent, at least to the public or on social media, his now former teammates have done some of the talking for him. In fact, the Raiders' locker room erupted with support and thanks for the superstar in the aftermath of his pending move across the country.
Raiders locker room shows support for Maxx Crosby after trade
First, it was Jackson Powers-Johnson who posted the following message for Crosby on his Instagram story and attached a picture of the two of them running out of the tunnel at Allegiant Stadium in front of the home fans:
"Truly an honor ❤️," Powers-Johnson wrote. "Love you man @maxxcrosby."
Tyree Wilson, who was drafted into the defensive line room with Crosby back in 2023 and grew up in this league under Crosby's wing, also had an emotional message for the Ravens' new star on his Instagram story. He then attached photos and videos of them together.
"This game gave me a brother for life," Wilson wrote. "You showed me 1st hand what the grind looks like. We locked in 4L. Imma still fire you up every week. Go run that (expletive) up some more. More is required🦅 🖤. Love you boy @maxxcrosby."
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Malcolm Koonce and Lonnie Johnson Jr. had much shorter messages for Crosby. The former posted on his Instagram story, and the latter both replied to the post about Crosby being dealt to Baltimore and made a post on his Instagram story.
"Go be you brother 🖤🦅," Koonce wrote.
"Go be great family @crosbymaxx," Johnson wrote.
"My dawg go be great @maxxcrosby," Johnson also posted.
Young edge rusher Brennan Jackson, who spent his entire first season with the Raiders on the Injured Reserve last year, also posted a thoughtful message for Las Vegas' longtime leader on his Instagram story.
"Legend!! Leader!! Appreciate everything you've done! @maxxcrosby," Jackson wrote.
Raider Nation didn't need to see these posts to understand how appreciated Crosby was both on and off the field by his teammates. He was a true difference-maker, even if it didn't translate into wins. He'll always be a legend in the Silver and Black; his odd and unceremonious ending doesn't change that.