Defensive end Maxx Crosby has become the main figure of the Las Vegas Raiders and has expressed his wish to have a long career with the team. However, he has one team in mind if he couldn't stay with the Raiders.
Crosby was born in Michigan and played college football at Eastern Michigan. If he couldn’t play in Las Vegas, he’d like to return to his hometown team.
“The Lions,” Crosby mentioned when asked about another team he would want to play for in the March 15 episode of “The Rush.”
Crosby has been vocal about growing up cheering for the Detroit Lions and now they’re coming off their best season since 1991. Head coach Dan Campbell is similar to Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce as they are both former players who remain player-friendly coaches. Fortunately for the Raiders, Crosby is under contract through 2026 and has no intention of leaving Las Vegas. It’s hard to picture him playing anywhere else, including with his hometown Lions.
Maxx Crosby admitted to being a Detroit Lions fan previously.
While Maxx Crosby is openly expressing his admiration for the Lions, Raiders fans need not fret. This is something he’s been truthful about for a while. Even during the season, he revealed to Lions offensive tackle Penei Sewell about his support for the team.
“I grew up in Michigan, so … and I went to Eastern Michigan, so I grew up a Lions fan,” Crosby told Sewell during the Raiders’ Week 8 matchup against the Lions.
Players seldom get selected by the teams they supported as kids, and Crosby has certainly developed a love for the Raiders. In an alternate reality where the Raiders don’t exist, perhaps Crosby could’ve been a Lion.
Maxx Crosby ranked as the 11th-best player from the 2023 season
Maxx Crosby has cemented his status as one of the top defensive players in the NFL in recent seasons. He’s coming off a standout year where he tallied 14.5 sacks and was a finalist for Defensive Player of the Year.
His season was so exceptional that Sam Monson of Pro Football Focus ranked Crosby as the 11th-best player in the entire NFL.
“One of the most consistent edge rushers in the league, Crosby is also arguably the best run defender among that group,” Monson wrote in a March 8 column. “He racked up 94 total pressures over the season and posted a 92.7 PFF run-defense grade despite battling through a knee injury that resulted in some gruesome-looking swelling at times.”
Only four other defensive players were ranked ahead of Crosby on the list. He was also the only Raider to make the entire list that featured 101 players. Not even wide receiver Davante Adams made the list.
Though the quarterback is typically the face of a franchise, Crosby has become synonymous with the Raiders. When he threatened to request a trade if the team didn’t hire Antonio Pierce as head coach, they quickly made the decision to keep him on. He’s come a long way since being a fourth-round pick and is now considered not just one of the best Raiders players, but one of the best overall players in the world.
