Former Las Vegas Raiders head coach Jon Gruden has recently made headlines again. With former first-round pick Damon Arnette getting a second chance in the NFL, Gruden praised him, highlighting that the cornerback has undergone a transformation. Meanwhile, Maxx Crosby has shared insights about his experience following Gruden’s abrupt departure from the Raiders a few years ago.
In an episode of Glory Daze, the podcast hosted by former Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel, star defensive end Crosby recounted the events that transpired prior to the public disclosure of the report regarding Gruden’s conduct behind the keyboard.
“It makes me sick for him,” said Crosby. “The dude is addicted to football. He is a football lifer. Gruden was so good to me, and when that situation happened, I remember it so vividly,” Crosby added.
“After the game against Chicago, that is when all the emails started leaking,” Crosby recalled. “It just got worse and worse, and it was just happening so fast. And as a team, we are like, ‘What is going on?’ It is everywhere. That night, I got a call from Mayock, and Gruden resigned.”
Crosby and Gruden’s partnership with the Raiders came to an end…
As most Raiders fans recall, the events that transpired the week Crosby is retelling were wild. The Raiders experienced a significant transformation from one week to the next, and if Rich Bisaccia hadn’t taken charge and made necessary adjustments, the season could have ended disastrously.
“I went to Gruden’s house right after it happened. Me and Rachel went to his house. He resigned,” Crosby told Manziel. “He’s got this beautiful f****** house; he’s just sitting in the corner like the Godfather and you could just see it. He couldn’t even look me in the eyes, bro. He was just f***** up, tearing up, bro.”
The bond between the two was definitely something special. Crosby even surprised his former coach with a box full of Raiders gear, which got the 61-year-old pretty emotional. On Crosby’s end, he’s been through a lot—he just hit five years of sobriety and has had four different head coaches since Gruden left, all of whom combined for a rough 25-38 record.
Now heading into 2025, Crosby’s about to play under his fifth head coach in just a few years: longtime Seahawks coach Pete Carroll, who’s stepping in with hopes of pulling the Raiders out of their stretch of mediocrity. Despite the frequent coaching changes, the 27-year-old defensive star has demonstrated his commitment to Carroll and the team by recently securing a three-year, $106.5 million contract, which includes a substantial $91.5 million guarantee.
Maybe this is the year where it all finally comes together for both the Raiders and No. 98.
*Top Photo: Getty Images