Las Vegas Raiders star edge rusher Maxx Crosby is among the most respected guys in football, especially in the Raiders locker room. When Crosby speaks, everyone listens.
Recently, Crosby took the time to share his expectations for the Raiders’ 2025 season while offering up some high praise to one of his fiercest rivals. It is no secret who Crosby believes is the best quarterback in the world. It is a must-watch match when these two division rivals battle on the field.
Raiders Maxx Crosby Knows To Be the Best, You Have To Beat the Best
When the Raiders take on the Kansas City Chiefs, hardly any love is lost. However, Crosby’s respect for Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes transcends football, as it is clear these are two of the best in the sport at their respective positions.
𝗧𝗥𝗘𝗡𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚: Maxx Crosby says he’s the best pass rusher in the world, Patrick Mahomes the best quarterback in the world, via ESPN
“It’s ultimate respect when it comes to them [the Chiefs]. They’ve earned it. They’ve won three Super Bowls, they’ve got the best quarterback in… pic.twitter.com/osLNyZvWiv
— JPAFootball (@jasrifootball) June 30, 2025
After signing a massive three-year contract extension worth $106.5 million with the Raiders this offseason, Crosby has made it clear that he wants to win. However, the Raiders star acknowledged that to return to the playoffs, they must go through Mahomes’ Chiefs, who have won the AFC West for nine consecutive years.
“It’s ultimate respect when it comes to them,” Crosby said, speaking of the Chiefs.
“They’ve earned it. They’ve won three Super Bowls, they’ve got the best quarterback in football. But for us, as a pass rusher, I’m going against the best quarterback. For me, I believe I’m the best pass rusher in the world, so every time we match up it’s match made in heaven.” Crosby said, offering up praise to the three-time Super Bowl Champion Mahomes.
Crosby loves going against the best of the best, which truly showcases his level of competitiveness, helping to separate him as one of the league’s greats. Even though the Chiefs have dominated the AFC West for the past nine seasons, that has yet to deter Crosby, who still likes his team’s chances for a playoff push in this upcoming season.
Although Crosby has been able to sack Mahomes, the two-time MVP, six times in his career, the consistent wins have yet to follow. The Raiders have only beaten him twice across 12 meetings in Crosby’s six seasons. But the four-time Pro Bowler expects things to change soon, comparing the young Raiders squad to a young and dynamic team on the hardwood.
Crosby Compares Raiders to NBA’s Thunder
After a poor 2024 campaign, which saw Crosby’s Raiders win just four games, the Vegas star signed an extension expecting to win, and he recently made his intentions clear to his teammates.
Scary: Raiders star pass rusher Maxx Crosby thinks the Raiders can have a turnaround similar to the OKC Thunder.
“Individual success and things like that are awesome, but it’s not why you play the game. You play to win. We just saw it in the NBA: OKC, just a couple years ago,… pic.twitter.com/ETJNU9plxQ
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) June 29, 2025
“Anytime you go out there, you want to be in a position to win. Individual success and things like that are awesome, but it’s not why you play the game. You play to win. We just saw it in the NBA: OKC [Thunder], just a couple years ago, was one of the worst teams in the league. But they had a lot of young guys, they trusted the process, they developed, and now they’re the world champions.” Crosby said, comparing the Raiders to the recent NBA champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Crosby wants to win and make a run to the playoffs in the AFC West, but dethroning the Chiefs is something no team in the division has done since the Denver Broncos in 2015.
If Crosby wants to take down who he believes is the best quarterback in the world, he will need to stay healthy and have a bounce-back year in 2025. But Crosby seems as motivated as ever to take the Raiders back to the top of the AFC West, somewhere this franchise hasn’t been since 2002.
With new head coach Pete Carroll and their newest starting quarterback, Geno Smith, set to usher in a new era of Raiders football, can Crosby and his new cast be the surprise of 2025? If so, it won’t happen without the Chiefs getting a word in. The Raiders and Chiefs are once again setting up the AFC West to be a dogfight that fans will certainly be tuned into.
