In an unequivocally transparent string of statements, Las Vegas Raiders defensive star Maxx Crosby has made it abundantly clear that he fully supports Antonio Pierce as the team’s head coach. He might even be willing to ask for a trade if he and his teammates don’t get the coach they think they deserve.
Crosby isn’t expressing a mere preference for Pierce, it’s an unwavering demand accompanied by the possibility of him leaving Las Vegas if Pierce doesn’t secure the position.
Speaking publicly for the first time since reports of him possibly seeking a trade if Pierce doesn’t get the job, Crosby minced no words on his podcast released Saturday.
“I’m going to have to consider everything. Nothing’s off the table,” Maxx Crosby said on his The Rush podcast. “ I made it clear, I want to be a Raider for life. I want to be here, I want to win here, I want to retire here. But if you go and start from scratch again, I gotta consider everything.”
While other Raiders have been clear of their preference for Pierce to return in a permanent capacity, Crosby is the first to publicly acknowledge he may seek a way out if it doesn’t happen.
“I made it very public, I made it very honest and clear,” Crosby said. “You know for me it’s Antonio Pierce without a doubt. I mean we already had this opportunity couple years ago with Rich (Bisaccia) . We had things going in the right direction. We almost won a playoff game and we ended up deciding, you know, going a different direction to start from ground zero and that didn’t work.”
Crosby made the point that his opinion is beyond a player simply having a choice for their coach, it speaks to matters of stability, trust and where Crosby believes the Raiders should be headed.
“We get an opportunity to have a guy who’s, like you said, a lifer from Compton and a Raider fan his whole life,” Crosby said. “A former player, Super Bowl winner, captain — we have that guy in the building. Then he comes in and has a chance to prove himself and he does.”
Pierce took over a 3-5 Raiders team after the firing of Josh McDaniels and finished the season going 5-4 and 3-1 in the AFC West. Those wins included a 63-point performance against the Los Angeles Chargers and a huge Christmas Day win in Kansas City.
The Raiders’ defense, perennially a bottom-feeder in the NFL, improved and finished in the Top 10 in scoring after Pierce became interim head coach.
Related: Las Vegas Raiders players speak out in support of Antonio Pierce
Maxx Crosby talks Mark Davis openly about the coaching search
The dynamic between Maxx Crosby and team owner Mark Davis has become central to this story as well. Crosby shared they have frequent and open discussions about the coaching situation, showcasing Crosby’s involvement in decision making processes.
That certainly speaks to Maxx Crosby’s leadership qualities and highlights how much weight his opinions carry within the organization. It’s important to note that Crosby speaking out on this hiring process isn’t just his personal opinion; rather, he says it reflects the collective sentiment within the team. Crosby’s strong support for Pierce is based on the Raiders roster’s shared history of success after he took over and the understanding that maintaining consistency is crucial to building winning organizations.
“I know how the guys feel, I know everybody wants AP (Pierce) back,” Crosby said when speaking about his current teammates. “I know the legends…the Charles Woodson’s, all the guys like that, they all want him back and it’s all the fans. I mean everybody wants AP back and I feel like he’s done more than enough to prove that he’s worthy of getting that opportunity.
Maxx Crosby’s endorsement of Pierce goes beyond loyalty as he highlighted examples where, under Pierce’s guidance, the team showcased potential and growth. He referenced close games the team lost to the Vikings, Colts, and Dolphins and the unit’s ability to compete with any team despite being on the losing end of those games.
Crosby also emphasized how under Pierce, a culture shift within the team led to an impressive resurgence in an alignment of vision between coach and players. His conviction lies in believing that with Pierce leading them not only will the Raiders be contenders for playoffs, they also possess a genuine chance at winning the Super Bowl, he said.
As the Raiders find themselves at a crossroads, Maxx Crosby’s demand that Antonio Pierce be the Raiders next permanent head coach, or he may want out, becomes a moment that could alter the course of its future.
His message is loud and clear: the Raiders possess the talent, leadership and potential needed for greatness. As Maxx Crosby explained, they need Antonio Pierce to get them there.