The Las Vegas Raiders have completely failed to meet offseason expectations in the Pete Carroll era, going a division-worst 2-12 so far and missing the playoffs for the fourth straight time. But for Maxx Crosby, such struggles are a learning experience for him.
The star edge rusher said on Tuesday’s episode of Jim Gray’s Let’s Go podcast (from 23:00 onward):
“Honestly, for me it’s been a different type of challenge. I’ve had a lot of adversity… but I feel like it’s on a personal level. It’s allowed me to grow in a lot of ways as an individual and as a leader. … It’s allowed me to look in the mirror, address things differently than I’ve done in the past.”
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The last game the Raiders played was an abject disaster, as they had a paltry 75 offensive yards in a 31-0 shutout loss at the Philadelphia Eagles. And during the pre-game show, former wide receiver James Jones, who played for the franchise in 2014, lambasted them in no uncertain terms for their lack of competitiveness:
“Competing don’t mean you’re going to win every game. Competing is when you turn on the tape, ‘Man, them boys is flying around. They diving after the runner. They diving after the football. You see, man, the O-lineman driving in five yards.’ We see none of that.”
Meanwhile, NBC’s Mike Florio wrote about a possible exit strategy for Carroll:
“Coach Pete Carroll shouldn’t want to stay. The Raiders shouldn’t want him to stay. Current speculation, per a league source, centers on some sort of a negotiated resolution, pursuant to which Carroll ‘retires’ and gets a portion of what he’s owed.”
Insider names Devin White one of the Raiders’ “success stories” in dismal 2025 season
Despite the paucity of their offense, the Raiders still have some intriguing defensive pieces to build upon. Maxx Crosby is one of them, but the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport mentioned another one on Tuesday – off-ball linebacker Devin White:
“(White) has emerged as a potential Comeback Player of the Year candidate in DC Patrick Graham’s scheme, as the fifth player in team history to eclipse 140 tackles. With one sack, White would join Demario Davis as one of two players since 2019 to get 700+ tackles and 25 sacks.”
It’s been a challenging season in Las Vegas, but the #Raiders have some success stories — LB Devin White is a big one. He has emerged as a potential Comeback Player of the Year candidate in DC Patrick Graham’s scheme, as the fifth player in team history to eclipse 140 tackles.
The team’s next game will be at the Houston Texans this Sunday. Kickoff is at 1:25 pm PT on CBS.