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Pete Carroll Breaks His Silence After Maxx Crosby Walked Out On The Las Vegas Raiders [VIDEO]

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This article was originally published on Total Pro Sports.

Pete Carroll and Maxx Crosby (Photo Via X and Imagn Images)

Maxx Crosby will miss Sunday’s game against the New York Giants because of a knee injury. Raiders head coach Pete Carroll confirmed the decision on Friday.

Carroll said the choice did not come easily. Crosby pushed hard to play and did not hide his frustration after learning he would miss the game. The seven-year veteran left the team facility shortly after the meeting, a reaction Carroll said matched Crosby’s competitive nature.

“He didn’t want to take the news like that, and I didn’t want to take the news like that,” Carroll said. “If we let him, he would have been out there, and he would not have hesitated, but he knows that he’s banged up. So he’s talking about, ‘I’d like to get out of here.’ And I said, ‘Yeah, get out of here.’ So, he took off.”

The decision comes before a big Week 17 game between two teams sitting at 2-13. The loser will move closer to landing the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. The Raiders already ruled out tight end Brock Bowers for the season and safety Jeremy Chinn for Sunday’s game.

Carroll Explains Tough Call As Crosby Pushes Back

Maxx Crosby with his arms folded
Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby (Photo By Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images)

Carroll said doctors checked Crosby earlier this week, and that evaluation pushed the team to sit him. He praised Crosby’s toughness and said he has been trying to play through the injury for weeks.

“He’s been fighting this thing for nine weeks,” Carroll said. “Each week, he has done everything you could possibly imagine a guy could do to play, and he’s been able to. But after an evaluation we did Monday or Tuesday, whenever it was, it just looks too bad.”

Carroll added that the decision has not hurt his relationship with Crosby. He also said the team has not ruled Crosby out for Week 18 against the Kansas City Chiefs, but they are still considering their options.

Crosby has been listed with a knee injury since Week 12. At first, he still practiced at times. Since Week 14, he has missed at least one practice each week.

This will be Crosby’s first missed game of the season. He is known for his durability. He played every game in his first five NFL seasons and missed only five games in 2024 after an ankle injury that later needed surgery.

Despite the injury, Crosby has had a strong year. He recorded 10 sacks, two forced fumbles, and one interception in 15 games. Fans and players voted him to the Pro Bowl again, marking his fifth straight selection.

Earlier this week, Crosby made his stance clear when asked about draft positioning.

“I don’t give a s***about the pick, to be honest,” Crosby said Tuesday. “I don’t play for that. That’s not my job. My job is to be the best defensive end in the world. That’s what I focus on every day. Being a great leader, being an influence. Being that guy on a consistent basis for my team.”

On Sunday, the Raiders will move forward without their emotional leader on defense.

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