Maxx Crosby, Las Vegas Raiders Defensive End

The Sultan of Sizzle. The Titan of Toastiness. The Kingpin of Kindling.

These are the admired ones. Those who've created the prime place to gather. They don't just have a backyard. They have the backyard because they know a Solo Stove Fire Pit is more than just the ultimate smokeless fire pit. It's a place where friendships are forged, football is revered, and food is enjoyed.

Solo Stove. The perfect flame for the big game. Now joining us is a man that is a finalist for the defensive player of the year. This dude each and every year. Just keeps on getting better and better and better.

I don't even know what the ceiling could possibly be for this guy because he's just an absolute dog. And that is Max Crosby on behalf of the Las Vegas Raiders via Invisalign. Max, great to see you in person. How you been?

Absolutely. I appreciate the introduction. It means the world, man. I'm doing great.

Everything's great. I appreciate a lot about your story. Something that really stands out is just the love that you have for the Raiders organization. We know there's been a lot through the years. A lot of people could have taken the easy way out and said, I'm out.

I'm gone. I'm not going to be a part of this. Why do you just have so much love for the Raiders organization?

Honestly, it just, you know, they would only seem to take a chance on me. And at the end of the day, I feel like I was born to be a Raider. I mean, I don't even being in another jersey or color doesn't even register in my brain.

It doesn't even sound like a thing. I feel like since day one, I was meant to be here and be a part of the reason why we changed this thing around. So, you know, I talk passionately about winning and what I feel like is best for the team. You know, obviously I'm not the final say, but I put my body on the line and played through a lot to be, you know, help this team win in every single way.

And I show them, listen, I'm getting better every single year regardless of what's thrown at me. And that's what I want everyone thinking like. So, you know, I've shared my opinions.

People have had their, you know, certain concerns and, you know, thoughts on it. But at the end of the day, all my messaging is, is I want everyone to be thinking on the same level. I want, how are we getting better?

Like, you know, you mentioned like every single year, I'm finding new ways to improve in every single way, in every single category and finding that one percent. And I want the front office. I want the, I don't care if it's the front office or the janitor or the equipment guys. I want everyone to be thinking like that. That's how you win. That's the only, you know, the only way you give yourself a chance to win a Super Bowl.

Everybody's got to be in the boat. So AP, he's the Raiders to the core. There's only one coach for the Raiders. I mean, everybody has these big names and everything like that.

But there's only, there's 31 teams and only one, one Raider nation. So I feel like AP is the man for the job. And, you know, I stand behind him and I stand behind what I say.

Well, that's when I knew you meant business about AP. Like clearly Antonio Pierce showed that he deserved to get the job. He got the job. But with how much love you have for the organization to basically say, hey, I may have to think about requesting a trade if you don't hire this guy speaks how much he's impacted you and how much you thought of him. No doubt. And it's not just about me. You know, I'm speaking for the guys.

I'm speaking for everyone in that building. Everyone wants him, wanted him to come back. So if I got to take some heat and be that guy, that's what being a leader is, you know, standing up for what's right. At the end of the day, all I care about is winning and care about what I want. Mark Davis have a damn Super Bowl to win a Super Bowl. I want him to have success, been the owner for 20 years.

And, you know, we've only been to playoffs twice and only once in my five years. So I want us to succeed. I want him to succeed.

I want I do it from the greatness of my heart because when I go to bed at night, I'm not worried about, you know, what people's opinions are and whatever, because I know I'm coming from a good place. All I care about is winning for the Raiders, not anybody else. I don't give a damn about any other team, but I'm not room for anyone in the Super Bowl. I don't give a damn about anybody. I care about the Raiders and my guys. That's all I care. I'll go to the end of the world for my teammates, and they know that, and I'll play through anything if I can do it to be out there on the field and help us win. So I care about the nation, and there's only one nation.

So that's it. We want an answer. Max Crosby here with us. Quarterback is always such a big thing, right? We know Derek hasn't been with the team now for a year in New Orleans.

I think they're going to make a move this offseason, whether it's in the draft, a trade-free agency. When you kind of go into this offseason, you don't know who your quarterback's going to be. I know you can only focus on what you could focus on the defensive side of the ball, but how challenging is that? I mean, just being real, the quarterback's the most important position in football.

There's only 32 of them in the world that start. It's a very rare and tough position to play, and people try to skip over this, but like Aidan O'Connell, at the end of the day, he was our guy. He stepped in. He helped us win a lot of games, and there's growing pains. Being a rookie is hard enough being thrown in in the middle of the season when everyone's starting to figure out who they are as teams. It makes it even more difficult, and the fact that he didn't blink, we go to play the Vikings, we score zero points, he's getting murdered online.

Everybody turn around in four days, we go out there and set the record for most points scored. That's just a testament to not only him, but the guys in this locker room. Quarterback's the hardest position to hit on. Everyone thinks they know who's the next this guy or the next Joe Montana or Tom Brady, but nobody really knows until they get out in the field. Everything matters from your coach to the system and all that.

I feel like at the end of the day, they're going to have to fight that out. We're going to probably bring in two quarterbacks. Aidan is going to have a chance to fight for that spot. He's started more games than anybody who's come in. If we bring in a vet, then at the end of the day, I don't know what other vets are out there right now.

Kirk Cousins, Russell Wilson's going to be available. Potentially, but at the end of the day, Aidan has started for the Raiders. I know Aidan's not scared of competition. He understands the situation. Can he be a franchise quarterback in your opinion? Nobody thought I would be where I'm at after my rookie year.

Realistically, nobody expected me to be here. I believe in Aidan 100%. I believe in what this team, moving forward with AP and what we have now in Telesco.

We're going to make the right decisions and best decisions for the team going forward. Do you feel like you still get disrespected a little bit? Everyone knows you're a great player, but when they talk about the great pass rushers, I feel like everyone throws Miles Garrett up there, T.J. Watt up there, Micah Parsons up there.

Then eventually people say Max Crosby, but I feel like you should be a little bit higher up that list. Yeah, I understand why it's like that. But yes, I hear, see everything, and I let it motivate me. For me, I don't do it for the ones that doubt me. I've been doubted my whole life. I do it for the ones that believe in me, my tight-knit circle, the people that know what I do on a daily basis. That's how I operate. I tell this to my brother all the time.

We had this conversation recently. It took everybody in the NBA to recognize Nikola Jokic as the best player after eight seasons. He was doing it, putting up the stats, doing it every single year.

Nobody could guard him. He was most complete at what he did. Nobody was doing what he was doing, but they didn't really give him his respect until year eight when he wins the MVP, wins the NBA Finals. They're like, oh, he's the best player in the world. But they're like, look what he's been doing the last eight years.

I mean, it's undeniable. So for me, I know what I'm doing. I trust my work, and I trust the process, and I'm willing to run the marathon longer than anybody. That's why I play more snaps.

That's why I put my body on the line, because I know in the end, if you put in the work, there was also follow-up. So I live by that every single day, and it's not just playing on Sundays. It's the routine. It's 365. We played the Broncos week 18.

I was up early rehabbing, meal prepping still every single day. It doesn't stop for me. So people are going to have their opinions. But in the end, I feel like we're going to look back and be notified.

Notice is one of the greatest to do it. I get what we do is we have conversations. We give opinions. We have fun. Max Crosby's here with us.

But this conversation with Brock Purdy, I'm just tired of it the last two weeks. You think he's a system quarterback, a game manager, a good quarterback? I don't care.

The dude's winning games right now, and that's all that matters in this league. 100%. I mean, everybody, it's the same thing, you've got to do it over and over and over again, just to be considered one of the best. It's the same.

I've dealt with it my whole career. Brock Purdy, he's young. He hasn't played a ton of games.

But they're going to try to label you and put you in a box from day one. He's a little white dude from Iowa State. He was undrafted.

He's the last pick in the draft. He's already going to take heat from the start. They're like, oh, well, he's not as talented. Oh, there's a reason why he went here. And he's proving to everybody, every game, okay. He doesn't have to say nothing.

All he has to do, all that matters is the film. And that dude, without him, they wouldn't have won that game versus the Lions. He was out there making all type of crazy plays, not only throwing the ball, but running the ball. It was crazy to see. So a guy like that, I love it because he doesn't let the BS on the outside affect what goes on in the locker room and on the field. So, I mean, they'll always try to put you in a box. They said I was a pass rusher.

All he could do is a situational pass rusher and a special team. I'm like, all right, so watch this. I got a ton of respect for Purdy. Tell me what you're doing on Invisalign with Invisalign today. Invisalign, yeah. So they came to me with a great opportunity.

They got over 400 guys in the NFL right now, currently. I didn't have braces growing up or anything like that. So I was like, might as well get the smile a little bit better. Do you feel good? Yeah, I appreciate that. I'm not just saying that because I know you kicked the crap out of me.

I appreciate it, man. I just started recently. I don't want to instigate you like Mahomes, all right? We don't have to do that. But yeah, no, Invisalign has been incredible.

I'm wearing them right now. And it's been a good journey so far. One more thing that I want to ask you. People are going to doubt the Raiders. People are going to say they can't get it done. Max is crazy.

Devontae Adams is crazy. Why are you guys going to get this thing right? I mean, I totally understand. They're going to doubt and doubt and doubt until we do it.

We haven't done it. But what's really incredible is that you can have individual success, but team success in the end is what solidifies your legacy. You know what I mean? That's what matters the most to me at the end of the day. Like, I know I'm going to keep getting better because of what I do on a daily basis. I know I'm going to keep getting better as an individual, but at the end of the day, I want a Super Bowl and not just one, two, three, whatever, whatever that is.

I want to be able to be in those games consistently. And until we do it, we're going to be doubted. And that's simple. And we're the Raiders, you know, so that comes with some extra baggage.

So it's part of the game and I'm embracing it fully. All right, last thing. Max Crosby here on Invisalign. This is the multi-million dollar question of the week. It's all Taylor Swift.

It's all Travis Kelce. Do you think they will eventually one day get engaged? That's none of my business. That's none of my business. But some people are going to assume that that's a no then on your part. I don't know.

I can't speak for Travis and Taylor, but I wish them the best, no doubt. You got it. Max, great to see you. Thanks so much. Thank you, brother.