Looking at Las Vegas Raiders star Maxx Crosby and his 2023 season, as well as the condition in which he played, certainly reinforces the claim that he really is the NFL’s Iron Man.
There are NFL players, and then there are the iron men. Despite injuries or uncontrollable circumstances, these players continue to play on the football field. Players with that trait have come and gone, and Crosby is the latest to join the ranks.
Raiders DE Maxx Crosby is ready for the 2024 season
If you don’t believe that, just look at his numbers, but then also pay attention to what he revealed to ESPN’s Paul Gutierrez.
No. 98 set career benchmarks across the board for the Raiders last season. Crosby tallied 23 tackles for a loss, 14.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles en route to another Pro Bowl nod and a 2nd-Team All-Pro designation.
Despite his impressive stats, it’s worth noting that he was injured for nearly the entirety of the campaign. Since Week 2, to be exact, as Gutierrez explained. Crosby is also fully aware of all of that, commenting on his journey to getting back to 100 percent.
“It’s been a hell of an offseason. So, it’s been a hell of a ride back. I had to get two major surgeries, and it’s been different, but at the end of the day, there’s not one street to get to where you want to go, there’s multiple. And for me, I trust the people around me, trust my team, everyone involved, to get me back to 100 percent. And then also taking that next step.”
The next step is surely twofold: getting that First-Team nod, but also maybe finally getting the Raiders back into the playoffs.
The man simply never stops…
Regardless, the grind doesn’t stop for Crosby. The former Eastern Michigan product acknowledged that for him, preparation is a yearly ritual—just because there’s no game on Sunday doesn’t mean you stop working.
“You talk about fight camps lasting maybe three months, four months; I do it 365. So that’s why I feel like, at the end of the day, my consistency is what separates myself and it will only keep getting me better because I don’t leave any stone unturned.”
After personally lobbying for Antonio Pierce to get the full-time head coach gig, to then having new general manager Tom Telesco sign Christian Wilkins, this might turn into a special season for Maxx Crosby.
*Top Photo: Getty Images
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