Maxx Crosby Explains Why He Went To Bat For Antonio Pierce
The Las Vegas Raiders edge rusher suggested he'd explore a trade if Antonio Pierce was not named head coach.
Maxx Crosby made it abundantly clear that he wanted Antonio Pierce to be his head coach.
The Las Vegas Raiders edge rusher was vocal in his support for Pierce as the Raiders conducted their coaching search — using the hashtag #HireAP on social media. And he even used his podcast, The Rush, to draw a line in the sand. If the Raiders didn't hire Pierce, the three-time Pro Bowler was willing to explore a trade.
"I want to be a Raider… but if we go in a different direction, there is nothing that is off the table," Crosby said.
Luckily for him, the Raiders sealed the deal with Pierce just a few days later.
After a disastrous start under former head coach Josh McDaniels, the Raiders went 5-4 with Pierce as the interim. That includes a Christmas Day upset win over Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium and a historic 63-21 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers the week prior.
The entire locker room — not just Crosby — rallied around their guy. But Maxx felt it was his duty to stand up and voice those feelings.
"It’s not always about going the easiest and most popular route," Crosby said. "And for me, I know I spoke for myself — that’s what being a leader is. And I was speaking for the guys, I was speaking for the organization. And that’s all that matters to me."
Maxx Crosby Sees Similarities Between Him And Antonio Pierce
Crosby's 2023 campaign was his best yet, as he recorded 90 combined tackles, 14.5 sacks, 31 QB hits, 23 tackles for loss and two forced fumbles. The Eastern Michigan product has made three straight Pro Bowls and also earned his second All-Pro selection this season. But individual success isn't enough.
"I want to win," the 26 year old said. "If I got to take heat for standing up for what everybody believes in, I’ll do that every single time, because I know I’m coming from a good place and I just want to win. I put in work all year round. I’m here in the building more than coaches, more than execs. I’m here every single day, sacrificing myself and my body and putting my body on the line to help this team win, and I want everybody else with that same mentality."
(Photo by John Rivera/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Crosby went on explain why Pierce, a Super Bowl champion and Pro-Bowler with the Giants, is the right fit for the head coach job.
"I feel like what makes him different is that he was a former player. He understands our perspective," Crosby said. "I understand that you don’t have to be a player to be a great coach… but when you have a coach that was a great player and also a great coach, then it’s a great formula and guys follow that and they understand it — and it’s easy to have a real man-to-man conversation because he’s been in your shoes before.
"… Me and him have that — you know when you’re around another alpha dog? You know when they walk in the room. So me and him immediately knew we showed each other respect. Coach was always testing me … he knows how to get under my skin and I know how to get under his skin, and he knows how to get the best out of me. He was a former captain who’s a former Super Bowl champion, and that’s what makes him special."