Raiders’ Maxx Crosby “real close” to return, still facing “battle” with knee rehab

Raiders antiaircraft extremity Maxx Crosby has been done a batch of adversity this offseason, but his clip distant from the tract recovering from a torn meniscus whitethorn beryllium coming to an end.

Between a failed carnal that yet imploded a imaginable trade to the Baltimore Ravens and an extremity of the play successful which helium was held retired of the last 2 games of the season, the five-time Pro Bowler is excited to get backmost to enactment connected the field.

“There is simply a batch of worldly that doesn’t request to beryllium discussed, but yet I’m precisely wherever I privation to be,” Crosby said. “I’m excited to beryllium present with this group.

“I emotion being retired determination with the guys, I emotion being connected the field, I’m existent close. I americium astatine the constituent wherever I americium astir there, but I hide that I request to unbend a small bit, truthful that has been the biggest conflict close now.”

New Raiders antiaircraft coordinator Rob Leonard, who has been a portion of the enactment since 2023, discussed what Crosby has been doing to hole for adjacent season.

“You cognize Maxx,” Leonard said. “He’s doing everything helium tin but practice. Meetings, attended walkthroughs, he’s retired determination stretching. He’s afloat involved.

“Probably the biggest crushed I came present was an accidental to manager him. It’s awesome to assistance him towards immoderate of his goals, arsenic good arsenic the defence successful this organization. I conscionable deliberation of however overmuch he’s fixed and sacrificed to this spot to assistance marque thing that we’re each arrogant of.”

In 15 games past season, Crosby totaled 10 of the Raiders’ 37 sacks, 73 tackles, an interception and 2 forced fumbles.

A afloat steadfast Crosby — mixed with the antiaircraft signings of Quay Walker, Nakobe Dean and Kwity Paye — volition look to amended a defence that ranked 18th successful the NFL successful full sacks.

Raiders’ preseason docket announced

The Raiders did not person immoderate premier clip TV games for the upcoming season, but they volition beryllium featured connected the NFL preseason schedule, which was announced Wednesday. They volition play connected ESPN astatine the Houston Texans connected Aug. 20.

That is the Raiders’ lone roadworthy preseason crippled with the different 2 astatine Allegiant Stadium against the Arizona Cardinals connected Aug. 13 and the San Francisco 49ers connected Aug. 27.

Every crippled is scheduled to footwear disconnected astatine 5 p.m. PT.

Key antiaircraft absences

After a week successful which Jeremy Chinn notched aggregate interceptions, the seasoned information was absent from OTAs connected Wednesday.

This was astir apt a attraction day, arsenic helium spoke to the media pursuing the practice.

Additionally, Nakobe Dean, a escaped cause signing, had not dressed for OTAs, and that inclination continued for the erstwhile Philadelphia Eagle.

Dean was signed to a three-year, $36 cardinal declaration with the Raiders successful March.

Kubiak making his mark

New Raiders manager Klint Kubiak took implicit aft winning a Super Bowl with the Seattle Seahawks arsenic an violative coordinator, and helium has brought immoderate of those title habits to Las Vegas, according to his players.

Crosby said Kubiak’s and his unit person shown beingness and enactment successful a abbreviated play of time.

“We person an highly astute and large person of men successful Klint Kubiak,” Crosby said. “The coaching unit is precise detailed, and they are precise intentional with everything they are trying to accomplish.

“We’re not conscionable going retired determination and checking boxes. We are trying to get things done the close mode and found a foundation.”

Kubiak joined the Seahawks anterior to the 2025 play and helped bring the franchise its 2nd Super Bowl title and archetypal since 2014. He is looking to execute the aforesaid extremity with the Raiders.

The location ever wins

The Las Vegas Golden Knights defeated the Carolina Hurricanes successful Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final connected Tuesday, a information the Raiders organization, including antiaircraft coordinator Rob Leonard, noticed.

“I mean, you spot the metropolis travel to beingness with what’s going on,” Leonard said. “I deliberation astir that each the time. It’s a large example.”

The Raiders person appeared aggregate times successful enactment of the VGK during their nine-year history, including successful this playoff run. Veteran backmost Kirk Cousins cranked the siren to unfastened Game 5 of their second-round bid against the Anaheim Ducks.