Las Vegas Raiders edge rusher Maxx Crosby has become the focal point of the team’s defense. A fourth-round pick in 2019, Crosby exploded onto the scene, sticking out as a rare bright spot in a Raiders defense that struggled mightily.
Now, large parts of the team’s improvement can be attributed to his work. And while Crosby’s principal focus is and has always been football, he’s begun using his platform to his advantage. Crosby is starting a podcast associated with Blue Wire — located in Las Vegas — as a side project.
Crosby said that part of the reason for his decision is to set himself up for life after football, where he’s hopeful he can transition to a media career, according to Tashan Reed of The Athletic:
“I’ve always had a vision of what I wanted my career to be,” Crosby told The Athletic. “I know, at the end of the day, football is No. 1. That’s my baby, and I protect that with everything. But the football career, if you’re lucky, if I play 10 years or 15 years, I’ll be in my 30s when I’m done playing. A lot of coaches and people growing up when you’re in high school and things like that, obviously football is your No. 1 focus, but they don’t tell you there’s life after football. … I’m focused on building my future for not only myself but my fiancee and my family.”
The podcast itself is meant to be fun and lively, even if his reasons for doing it are more serious. Each episode will react to and break down funny videos across the internet, similar to MTV’s “Ridiculousness.”
“The show is based on completely yourself and being comfortable and just hanging out,” Theus said. “We want people who are watching to feel like they’re in the room with us and to feel like they’re just kicking it with us.”
The podcast is still in its infancy, meaning Crosby still has plenty of work to do before reaching his goals for his post-playing career. But hopefully, he has plenty of time to make it happen. After signing a long-term extension with the Raiders, he’ll be in Las Vegas for the foreseeable future.
And when the 2022 season rolls around, Crosby will be ready to turn his focus to his top priority: football. In a loaded AFC West, the Raiders are poised for a second straight playoff run, and Crosby’s continued development will absolutely be a part of that formula.
Josh McDaniels addresses offensive line issues
One of the weaknesses currently perceived of the Raiders roster is their offensive line. And while head coach Josh McDaniels recognizes that as the truth, he also believes in the ceilings of some of the younger offensive linemen.
“I think we have a lot of players there that are not at their ceiling yet,” McDaniels said. “I feel pretty good about the group that we have, and now our job in the short term here is to try to coach them, get them to play better, each group, each man to play better, and that’s what I’ll focus on.”
