Kansas City Chiefs fans have a love-hate relationship with Maxx Crosby. Well, mostly hate. It’s not just that he suits up for the rival Las Vegas Raiders—it’s that he’s annoyingly good. A dominant edge rusher with relentless energy, Crosby is the kind of player who could make any team better. But for Chiefs Kingdom, his talent only amplifies the joy of watching the Raiders flounder. After all, it’s way more fun when the Raiders’ roster is packed with duds, not stars.
Crosby, however, isn’t just a force on the field—he’s also a quote machine off it. Recently, he drew headlines by comparing the Raiders’ potential turnaround to the NBA’s Oklahoma City Thunder, who went from lottery dwellers to champions in a few short years.
“You play to win,” Crosby said. “We just saw it in the NBA: OKC, 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. We’re trying to win. I want to win so badly. I put everything into it. I want everybody else to think like that.”
Inspiring words, no doubt. But Chiefs fans can’t help but chuckle. If winning is Crosby’s ultimate goal, he’s picked a peculiar team to chase it with. Since being drafted by the Raiders in the fourth round in 2019, Crosby has endured a rollercoaster of disappointment in Las Vegas. The Raiders have managed just one winning season in his tenure—a 10-7 campaign in 2021 that earned them a playoff berth but little else. The rest? A string of losing records, capped by an abysmal 4-13 season in 2024, the worst since Crosby joined the team.
To make matters worse for Crosby, he’s locked into the Raiders’ sinking ship through at least 2029, with a potential out in 2028. If winning is truly his north star, signing that extension might just be the punchline Chiefs fans love to hear. Why tie yourself to a franchise that seems allergic to success, especially in a division dominated by the Chiefs’ dynasty?
Crosby’s stats tell the story of a warrior fighting a losing battle. In 2024, he racked up 8.5 sacks, 15 tackles for loss, and 94 combined tackles—numbers that scream “elite defender.” Yet, those gaudy stats translated to just four wins. The Raiders’ defense, despite Crosby’s heroics, couldn’t mask an offense that sputtered and a team that seemed to lack cohesion. Meanwhile, the Chiefs kept stacking Super Bowl rings, and their fans kept laughing.
There’s a glimmer of hope for Raiders fans, though—or at least Crosby seems to think so. With Tom Brady now part of the ownership group and calling some shots, there’s talk of a roster overhaul. Could Brady’s influence spark a Thunder-like rebuild? Maybe. But the AFC West is a brutal gauntlet. The Chiefs remain the gold standard, while the Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Chargers have made significant strides, bolstering their rosters with young talent and savvy coaching. The Raiders, by contrast, feel like they’re stuck in quicksand, with Crosby as the lone bright spot.
For Chiefs fans, this is all deliciously entertaining. Every Raiders loss is a reason to celebrate, and Crosby’s impassioned pleas for a winning culture only add to the schadenfreude. As long as the Raiders remain the AFC West’s punching bag, Chiefs Kingdom will keep popping the champagne. Crosby might be a superstar, but his team’s struggles are the gift that keeps on giving.