Maxx Crosby never wanted to leave the Raiders, and Raiders owner Mark Davis never wanted to lose the edge rusher. It remains to be seen whether Crosby will finish his career with the team that drafted him in the fourth round in 2019.
He’s only 27, after all, with seemingly a lot of career left.
But Crosby’s three-year contract extension, which is worth $106.5 million with $91 million guaranteed, gets him closer to ensuring he stays with the Raiders his entire career. He now is under contract through 2029.
“I envision Maxx being a Raider for a long time,” new General Manager John Spytek said, via Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “And I think that’s what he wants, too.”
Crosby now is the highest-paid non-quarterback in the NFL, surpassing Justin Jefferson. The four-time Pro Bowler called it “an absolute blessing in so many ways.”
“It’s one thing to be the face of a franchise,” Crosby said. “But I want to be a winner.”
In the six seasons Crosby has been on the field, the Raiders are 43-57 with one winning record, one postseason appearance and no playoff wins. He has 59.5 sacks and 144 quarterback hits, but it hasn’t been enough for the Raiders to do what they haven’t done since 2002 — win a playoff game.
But Crosby has said the hiring of Super Bowl-winning coach Pete Carroll has him as encouraged as he has been in his time with the team.
“I am extremely excited and motivated,” Crosby said, via Ryan McFadden of ESPN. “I have been here for seven years, and it has been a blessing. . . . A lot of people in this building have helped me. I am about to be five years sober in a week, and without that, I wouldn’t be here.”