The Las Vegas Raiders did not let talks go on throughout the offseason and heading into the new season the answer is clear, defensive end Maxx Crosby is a Raider. The Silver and Black locked up one of the best defensive players in the NFL to a massive extension.
All last season Crosby and the Raiders were hearing about him wanting out of Las Vegas and the Raiders were going to trade him. All the rumors followed them throughout the season and became louder as the Raiders struggled in 2024.
Crosby came out multiple times shutting down those rumors but after the end of last season, with all the moving parts, Crosby did not know if he was going to return.
"So yeah ... I was thinking about everything, I got to consider everything," said Crosby. "And I also had a contract coming up so I really had to figure out what was going to be best for me obviously my number on option was Las Vegas. I want to be here."
The Raiders' new regime made sure they were not going to lose Crosby. They gave Crosby an extension this offseason, which at the time made him the highest-paid defensive player ($35.5 million average) in the NFL.
Then the Cleveland Browns signed their star defensive pass rusher Myles Garrett to an extension ($40 million average) that surpassed Crosby's contract.
Mike Florio of NBC Sports compared the two contracts and how they are similar and different.
"Through 2029, Crosby makes $149.34 million and Garrett makes $164.796 million," said Florio.
"However, Crosby plays in Nevada, which has no state income tax. Ohio’s takes 3.5 percent. Also Garrett has $1 million per year tied up in offseason workout bonuses and $1 million per year in per-game roster bonuses. Crosby has no money tied to workout bonuses and per-game roster bonuses of $782,000 per year."
"Again, both deals are solid. The point is that the new-money APY gap of $4.5 million per year paints one picture. The cash flow, and the tax realities, paint a different one."
Both players earned their contracts and no one is going to argue that. Now we will have to wait and see how these players play with their new deals. But they are expected to be dominant on the defensive side for years to come just how they have been.
