As several edge rushers will have plenty to say about where that market goes this offseason, Maxx Crosby is beating his peers to the punch. Despite not being in a contract year, the star Raiders pass rusher now has a monster extension in place.
The Raiders and Crosby have agreed on a deal that makes him the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history. Crosby is signing a three-year, $106.5MM accord that includes a whopping $91.5MM guaranteed, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports.
Crosby going first will help the likes of T.J. Watt, Micah Parsons, Trey Hendrickson, Myles Garrett and perhaps Aidan Hutchinson this offseason. The six-year Raider’s new AAV checks in at $35.5MM — $1.5MM north of Nick Bosa‘s previous defender record. Crosby surpasses Justin Jefferson‘s Vikings re-up by $500K per year, elevating him past all his non-QB peers. While it will now be expected some other edge rushers will top where Crosby has gone, he receives an update on a contract he had outplayed.
Crosby’s $91.5MM guarantee number jumps out here, as he managed to secure it on a three-year extension. Bosa landed $122.5MM in total guarantees, Garrett $100MM back in 2020. The 49ers and Browns standouts, respectively, gave their teams four and five years on their deals. Crosby getting here on a three-year contract illustrates how highly the Raiders value him, while setting the table for what could be one of the most explosive contract offseasons at one position in NFL history.
Of course, this can be classified as a three-year deal in name only. Since two seasons remained on Crosby’s previous contract (four years, $94MM), Crosby will still be under Raiders control through 2o29. Still, it cost the Silver and Black plenty to tack on three years here. Crosby was by far the best investment the Raiders made during Jon Gruden‘s second stint at the controls, and he has now been extended by two different regimes.
The Josh McDaniels-Dave Ziegler pair gave Crosby his first extension, which came in 2022. He played two seasons on the deal, leading the NFL in tackles for loss on both. Mark Davis then slammed the door on Crosby trade inquiries last year. Crosby had gone from expressing hope of being a one-team player before some frustration with the Raiders’ struggles showed before the trade deadline. It is safe to say today’s news will put Crosby trade rumors to rest for a while.
The Raiders also moved money around on Crosby’s contract last year; even though that Tom Telesco move was not an extension, Crosby has now seen four Raider regimes pay him. That speaks to both Crosby’s talent and the swift organizational turnover during his tenure.
Crosby, 27, combined for 45 TFLs between the 2022 and ’23 seasons. He added 17 last year, doing so despite missing five games. He ended last season on IR due to a high ankle sprain, which required surgery. The Raiders clearly have no concerns about their EDGE dynamo’s status for 2025. The Eastern Michigan alum notched 7.5 sacks last year but has three double-digit sack seasons — including a career-best 14.5 in 2023 — on his resume. Charting a potential Hall of Fame course, Crosby is certainly now paid like his top peers after having seen some lesser pass rushers move well ahead of him over the past few years.
The Raiders came into the day with more than $95MM in cap space; only the Patriots hold more. They have since extended Crosby and given ex-Tom Brady blocker Alex Cappa a two-year deal days before unrestricted free agency starts. While Cappa checks in as a standard addition, Crosby is among the first players to reap the benefits of the NFL’s latest cap spike. After ballooning by a record $30.6MM in 2024, the cap climbed by $24MM this year. It resides $71MM higher than it did when Crosby was last paid.
It continues to make sense for players to sign short-term deals, as the cap is on a trajectory that does not closely resemble the previous CBA’s course. Crosby has now scored two big-ticket extensions by 27, playing well enough for his team to rip up a previous deal with two years remaining. While other Raiders will take notice, the team does not have anyone on Crosby’s level just yet. Though, Brock Bowers has certainly started well. The team has the likes of Malcolm Koonce, Tre’von Moehrig, Robert Spillane and Nate Hobbs set to hit free agency soon.
The Raiders also will be shopping for a veteran quarterback — before the draft brings another research project at the position — next week. They have plenty of funds remaining to both keep players and add more talent, as the franchise hopes the Tom Brady–John Spytek-Pete Carroll regime will begin an upward trend at long last.
Raiders!!!
This is where Maxx belongs. He’s a Raider through and through.
I was holding out slim hope he would be available for trade…
But you are right, he just feels life he was meant to be a Raider for life.
And it probably increases Myles Garrett demand too.
Welp , that squashed all that trade talk ..
That’s a huge pile of cash for Crosby. How much more would it have cost the Raiders to get Stills, Nash & Young in a package deal?
Gotta love the one you’re with
That’s a bad decision.
For the Raiders? They’re locking up a franchise pillar who’s a top five player in his prime at a premium position and doing it before Parsons and Garrett drive the price up. Seems pretty sound to me.
If you’re not going to pay Crosby, who are you paying? I don’t understand your stance at all.
For you to write that, was a bad decision.
I got an ESPN notification with the name Maxx Crosby in it and my heart sank! I thought he was traded. The Raiders don’t look to be competitive any time soon, but Maxx is such an important presence to have on this team, he’s worth the contract.
Dats a shame, I was holding out hope for him coming to Buffalo.
Smart move by the Raiders. Lock him up now before the price goes up from all those other guys who will be extended soon. The Bengals better extend Chase soon. They are planning on making him the highest paid non QB, but that bar is only going to get higher the longer they wait
Still working on a contract with BING??
Honestly if I’m the Titans I go
Sign Darnold
Trade for DKM
Draft Carter or even Jeantry at 1
All of a sudden you’re looking at something
Maxx Crosby’s Raider’s extension really cleared up a lot for you.
Lmaooooo I thought I was on the Metcalf article
Damn. I was hoping he would’ve been traded to a good team.
Beyond idiotic. Condolences to that franchise
He’ll never win a ring but boy is his family taken care of lmao