Raiders star to have season-ending surgery, vows return on ‘warpath’
Maxx Crosby will undergo season-ending surgery on his ankle, the Raiders’ star defensive end confirmed on social media after media reports surfaced.
“I will not be playing the rest of the season,” Crosby wrote. “As much as it pains me to not go to war with my brothers and for the fans, I truly believe everything happens for a reason.
“I will get this surgery and be on a warpath for greatness every day and be back the best version of myself.”
To All My Fans… I Love Yall. Back Better Than Ever. #Limitless 🦅💎 pic.twitter.com/ew1DQxbKjq
— Maxx Crosby (@CrosbyMaxx) December 15, 2024
Monday’s game against the Falcons at Allegiant Stadium will be just the second game Crosby will miss in his career. Crosby did not practice this week.
The outlook is a bit brighter for quarterback Aidan O’Connell, who also missed all three practices this week.
He has been officially listed as questionable, and the team will give him another couple of days to try to recover from the bone bruise in his knee that had him carted off the field last week in Tampa.
Desmond Ridder, who has taken all the first-team reps in practice this week, would be in line to start for the Raiders if O’Connell can’t play. The team also signed Carter Bradley from the practice squad as additional insurance.
Crosby’s absence is a big blow to the defense.
He first suffered an ankle injury against Baltimore in Week 2 and didn’t look himself as he tried to play through it the following week against Carolina. That prompted a decision to sit out a game against Cleveland, the first game he had missed in his career, to try to get back to full strength.
The team then managed his reps the following two weeks in practice and games, but Crosby has played 100 percent of the defensive snaps in each of the past seven weeks and has been off the injury report completely for the past few weeks.
Crosby, 27, said the same ankle he injured earlier in the season was rolled again last Sunday in Tampa when he was chop-blocked from the side.
“I have absolutely zero regrets with my process, my approach and my discipline to this game,” he wrote. “Instead of sitting out over a month with my first high-ankle sprain at Baltimore, I only missed one game and came back and fought all year because that’s who I am. If I can go, I can make a difference.”
Defensive end Charles Snowden could be one of the options to help pick up the massive burden in Crosby’s absence, but his availability could be in question as he is facing a charge of driving under the influence after he was arrested this week.
Snowden has practiced this week, and coach Antonio Pierce said any disciplinary action would be handled internally.
Cornerback Sam Webb is doubtful with a back injury, and defensive tackle Adam Butler is questionable as he works his way through concussion protocol. Butler was able to get in a full practice session Saturday.
Two-way player
Linebacker Kana’i Mauga has fully embraced his new role as a part-time fullback.
“I love it,” he said with a big smile. “The joy of basically just getting up there and hitting people is what I’ve known for. It’s great for me to be in the role. And I think it’s going well. What I’ve always been taught is the more you can do, the better it is for the team.”
Pierce said running back Sincere McCormick plays well with a lead back, and without a fullback on the roster, the team has had to get a bit creative.
“We’re not going to use (tight ends) Brock (Bowers) or Big Mike (Mayer) as a fullback,” Pierce said. “So look, we’ve got a linebacker here that plays primarily on special teams that’s physical. There’s been great opportunities down here, obviously in the goal line and in short yardage to put him out there.”
Pierce said Mauga has done a good job, but one of the added benefits is how excited the team gets seeing Mauga hit a hole and blow up a defender.
“The best part is watching all our guys get excited when they see 43 run in there, because you know something violent is about to happen,” Pierce said.
Mauga hasn’t had a carry or a target yet, but those plays are in the playbook somewhere, and he insists he’ll be ready.
“I played tight end in high school,” he said. “I definitely have some reliable hands.”
No quit
One of the hottest topics around the league this week has been the refusal of 49ers linebacker De’Vondre Campbell to enter Thursday night’s game and the team’s subsequent announcement of its intention to cut ties with the veteran.
Pierce declined to comment on the situation directly and added he believes avoiding such an issue starts with acquiring the right personnel.
“One, I hope we don’t have players on our team that (are) like that,” he said. “That’s first and foremost. Hopefully we do a good job throughout the week and guys that we bring in. But I know that for the most part, I don’t see that on our team.”
It’s a similar answer to one given by defensive coordinator Patrick Graham when asked about the fight the team continues to show despite losing nine straight games and being well out of playoff contention.
“It’s just the guys we bring in here,” Graham said. “Real dudes, real guys, real men. We’ve got good leadership, and guys play hard. They appreciate the game. We talk about loving the game, appreciating the game. They value the game. They value every snap. Because once you hang it up, you’re done. You can’t play pickup football. So, I know they value playing football, so I wouldn’t expect anything less from them.”
Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on X.