As several edge rushers will have plenty to say about where that market goes this offseason, Maxx Crosby is beating his peers to the punch. Despite not being in a contract year, the star Raiders pass rusher now has a monster extension in place.
The Raiders and Crosby have agreed on a deal that makes him the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history. Crosby is signing a three-year, $106.5MM accord that includes a whopping $91.5MM guaranteed, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports.
Crosby going first will help the likes of T.J. Watt, Micah Parsons, Trey Hendrickson, Myles Garrett and perhaps Aidan Hutchinson this offseason. The six-year Raider’s new AAV checks in at $35.5MM — $1.5MM north of Nick Bosa‘s previous defender record. Crosby surpasses Justin Jefferson‘s Vikings re-up by $500K per year, elevating him past all his non-QB peers. While it will now be expected some other edge rushers will top where Crosby has gone, he receives an update on a contract he had outplayed.
Crosby’s $91.5MM guarantee number jumps out here, as he managed to secure it on a three-year extension. Bosa landed $122.5MM in total guarantees, Garrett $100MM back in 2020. The 49ers and Browns standouts, respectively, gave their teams four and five years on their deals. Crosby getting here on a three-year contract illustrates how highly the Raiders value him, while setting the table for what could be one of the most explosive contract offseasons at one position in NFL history.
Of course, this can be classified as a three-year deal in name only. Since two seasons remained on Crosby’s previous contract (four years, $94MM), Crosby will still be under Raiders control through 2o29. Still, it cost the Silver and Black plenty to tack on three years here. Crosby was by far the best investment the Raiders made during Jon Gruden‘s second stint at the controls, and he has now been extended by two different regimes.
The Josh McDaniels-Dave Ziegler pair gave Crosby his first extension, which came in 2022. He played two seasons on the deal, leading the NFL in tackles for loss on both. Mark Davis then slammed the door on Crosby trade inquiries last year. Crosby had gone from expressing hope of being a one-team player before some frustration with the Raiders’ struggles showed before the trade deadline. It is safe to say today’s news will put Crosby trade rumors to rest for a while.
The Raiders also moved money around on Crosby’s contract last year; even though that Tom Telesco move was not an extension, Crosby has now seen four Raider regimes pay him. That speaks to both Crosby’s talent and the swift organizational turnover during his tenure.
Crosby, 27, combined for 45 TFLs between the 2022 and ’23 seasons. He added 17 last year, doing so despite missing five games. He ended last season on IR due to a high ankle sprain, which required surgery. The Raiders clearly have no concerns about their EDGE dynamo’s status for 2025. The Eastern Michigan alum notched 7.5 sacks last year but has three double-digit sack seasons — including a career-best 14.5 in 2023 — on his resume. Charting a potential Hall of Fame course, Crosby is certainly now paid like his top peers after having seen some lesser pass rushers move well ahead of him over the past few years.
The Raiders came into the day with more than $95MM in cap space; only the Patriots hold more. They have since extended Crosby and given ex-Tom Brady blocker Alex Cappa a two-year deal days before unrestricted free agency starts. While Cappa checks in as a standard addition, Crosby is among the first players to reap the benefits of the NFL’s latest cap spike. After ballooning by a record $30.6MM in 2024, the cap climbed by $24MM this year. It resides $71MM higher than it did when Crosby was last paid.
It continues to make sense for players to sign short-term deals, as the cap is on a trajectory that does not closely resemble the previous CBA’s course. Crosby has now scored two big-ticket extensions by 27, playing well enough for his team to rip up a previous deal with two years remaining. While other Raiders will take notice, the team does not have anyone on Crosby’s level just yet. Though, Brock Bowers has certainly started well. The team has the likes of Malcolm Koonce, Tre’von Moehrig, Robert Spillane and Nate Hobbs set to hit free agency soon.
The Raiders also will be shopping for a veteran quarterback — before the draft brings another research project at the position — next week. They have plenty of funds remaining to both keep players and add more talent, as the franchise hopes the Tom Brady–John Spytek-Pete Carroll regime will begin an upward trend at long last.
