Crosby: 'Most optimistic I've been' about Raiders after past doubts
Las Vegas Raiders star Maxx Crosby has a brighter outlook after the franchise's overhaul to begin this offseason.
"I've had doubts in the past," Crosby told "PFT Live" on Thursday. "I feel like this past year was probably the hardest part of my career. Battling through injury the whole year, struggling, losing 10 games in a row ... It makes you start questioning a lot of things."
He added: "This is probably the most optimistic I've been."
With the help of minority owner Tom Brady, Las Vegas hired Super Bowl champion Pete Carroll to be its head coach and former Tampa Bay Buccaneers assistant general manager John Spytek as the franchise's new GM.
Crosby previously praised Carroll's hire, citing the 73-year-old's energy and competitiveness.
"He's a winner. He's done it his whole career. And it's just exciting to see what's going to come soon," Crosby said at the time.
The Raiders also hired offensive coordinator Chip Kelly, reportedly as the league's highest-paid assistant, and retained defensive coordinator Patrick Graham on a new contract.
Kelly is joining Las Vegas from Ohio State, where he won the College Football Playoff National Championship as the Buckeyes' OC last season.
The Raiders have only one winning season and a 43-57 record across Crosby's six seasons. Las Vegas is coming off a 4-13 campaign, its worst since 2018. The franchise hasn't won a playoff game since the 2002 season, the second-longest drought in the NFL.
Crosby has been selected to four consecutive Pro Bowls and is a two-time second-team All-Pro. His 2024 season ended early after he had ankle surgery in December.
Las Vegas holds the sixth overall pick in this year's draft and is set to begin the offseason with the second-most cap space ($92.5 million).