Sources: Raiders, Maxx Crosby reach 3-year, $106.5M extension
HENDERSON, Nev. — Four-time Pro Bowl defensive end Maxx Crosby has agreed to a three-year, $106.5 million contract extension with the Las Vegas Raiders that makes him the highest paid non-quarterback in NFL history, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Wednesday.
The extension, announced without terms by the Raiders, includes $91.5 million guaranteed, sources told ESPN, and keeps him under contract through the 2029 season.
“I told him last night, ‘This is not for what you’ve done, but for what you’re about to do,'” general manager John Spytek said during Wednesday’s news conference. “He’s chasing championships, and so are we.”
Defensive end Maxx Crosby has reached a three-year, $106.5 million extension with the Las Vegas Raiders, giving him the highest average annual salary per season for a non-quarterback in NFL history.
Said Crosby: “It’s an honor to be held at that high of a standard. I take that seriously.”
His extension, which averages $35.5 million per season, surpasses those for Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson ($35 million AAV), 49ers edge rusher Nick Bosa ($34.2 million) and Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb ($34 million). It’s just the first of a busy offseason for edge rushers across the league, with Trey Hendrickson, Myles Garrett, Aidan Hutchinson, T.J. Watt and Micah Parsons also in line for new deals.
He has developed into one of the league’s top edge rushers since the Raiders drafted him in the fourth round of the 2019 draft. Since entering the league, Crosby has totaled 59.5 sacks — tied for fifth most in the NFL — and is third in franchise history behind Greg Townsend (107.5) and Howie Long (84).
In 2024, Crosby totaled 45 tackles and 7.5 sacks in 12 games before his season was cut short due to ankle surgery.
He had two years left — with a base salary of $22.2 million in 2025 and $18.8 million in 2026 — on the four-year extension that he signed in 2022, but he didn’t have any guaranteed money left. Last offseason, the Raiders gave Crosby a $6 million raise ahead of the 2024 campaign while moving $1.2 million from his 2026 salary into 2025.
The Raiders have made the playoffs only once in Crosby’s six years with the organization, but he’s hopeful things will turn around under Spytek and head coach Pete Carroll.
“I am extremely excited and motivated,” said Crosby, who added that he’s “getting close” following surgery and has been running on the treadmill. “I have been here for seven years and it has been a blessing. … A lot of people in this building have helped me. I am about to be five years sober in a week and without that, I wouldn’t be here.”
Spytek said Crosby’s deal sets the tone for a new era for the Raiders.
“We want to grow this to a place that people want to be,” Spytek said, “When Maxx — and it’s no secret it hasn’t been sunshine and roses here — makes a commitment to the Raiders and stands for everything [we] talk about, that speaks volumes. I hope it’s noticed around the league.”
Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby has 324 quarterback pressures in his career — 40 more than any other player since his 2019 rookie season.
Spytek didn’t comment at the NFL scouting combine on whether a new deal with Crosby would get done this offseason, but he made it clear that he wanted the 27-year-old defensive end to be in Las Vegas for the long run and that Crosby embodies the type of players he and Carroll want for the organization.
“This is a big commitment, and there is no one we’d rather do it with than Maxx,” Spytek said. “And what he stands for: the way he plays the game and the passion. That’s what Coach and I have talked about, and actions are louder than words.”
“The Pat McAfee Show” crew reacts to DK Metcalf requesting a trade from the Seahawks and discusses where he could end up. (2:03)
SEATTLE — Seahawks star wide receiver DK Metcalf has requested a trade away from Seattle and prefers to be dealt to a contending team, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Metcalf, a two-time Pro Bowl selection, made his trade request Wednesday after a series of conversations over the past two weeks, the source told Schefter. The request came on the same day the Seahawks announced the release of franchise great and fellow receiver Tyler Lockett in an expected move.
The Seahawks are upset that news of Metcalf’s trade request was leaked on a day the organization was celebrating Lockett’s 10-year career in Seattle, a source told ESPN. The source said the team will explore a Metcalf trade, adding, “We will do what’s best for the Seahawks.”
Metcalf’s agent did not respond to a request for comment from ESPN.
The team had already engaged in trade discussions regarding Metcalf before Wednesday, according to a source, though it’s not clear if they were actively shopping the receiver or merely listening to trade offers.
Metcalf, 27, is seeking a new deal as he enters the final year of the three-year, $72 million extension he signed in 2022. He’s set to make a little over $18 million in 2025. Trading him before June 1 would clear nearly $10.9 million in salary cap space but would force the Seahawks to take on $21 million in dead money this season.
Metcalf is coming off a 66-catch, 992-yard, five-touchdown season, having missed two games with a knee injury.
With speculation mounting about his future in Seattle as he entered a contract year, general manager John Schneider brushed off a question about the receiver’s situation at the scouting combine in Indianapolis. Coach Mike Macdonald has talked publicly about Metcalf being a focal point of Seattle’s offense in 2025, reiterating at the combine that they had to get him more involved after he finished last season with 108 targets in 15 games.
Macdonald previously talked about how his interviews with offensive coordinator candidates included questions about how they would maximize Metcalf, and that his pick for the job, Klint Kubiak, had a strong plan.
Metcalf averaged nine targets over the Seahawks’ first six games last season. He hurt his MCL in Week 7, missed two games and then averaged just under six targets the rest of the season. Macdonald noted that Metcalf still wasn’t 100% healthy while citing the emergence of second-year receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba — who led the team with 100 catches, 1,130 receiving yards and six touchdowns — as another factor.
The Seahawks traded up to draft Metcalf with the final pick of the second round in 2019. Despite running a 4.33 second 40-yard dash at the combine at 6-foot-3 and 228 pounds, he had fallen in the draft due in part to concerns about his route running as well as a serious neck injury that had ended his final college season at Ole Miss.
But Metcalf quickly became a star, finishing with 900 receiving yards as a rookie before setting a franchise record with 1,303 in 2020. He made the Pro Bowl in his second season and again in 2023. His 6,324 receiving yards are the most in team history over a player’s first six seasons. That total ranks 11th among wide receivers since 2019, while Metcalf’s 48 receiving touchdowns are fifth most in that span.
Metcalf’s 38 total penalties are 10 more than any other wide receiver had since 2019. He has drawn criticism for a sometimes-undisciplined playing style, with several of his penalties coming for after-the-whistle infractions.
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| Pos., Player | Tm. | AAV |
|---|---|---|
| DE Maxx Crosby | LV | $35.5M |
| WR Justin Jefferson | MIN | $35M |
| DE Nick Bosa | SF | $34.2M |
| WR CeeDee Lamb | DAL | $34M |
| >> ESPN Research | ||
| Players | QBP |
|---|---|
| Maxx Crosby | 324 |
| Nick Bosa | 284 |
| Myles Garrett | 281 |
| >> ESPN Research | |
7 key quotes from Raiders Maxx Crosby extension press conference
Immediately following the Raiders’ announcement they had signed Pro Bowl edge rusher Maxx Crosby to a three-year extension, they held a press conference to mark the occasion.
In attendance, bookending Crosby were head coach Pete Carroll and GM John Spytek. Here are a few key quotes from them from that press conference.
“This program is built around competition, and we’re always in pursuit of finding great competitors that will help us build a great team. And there’s no way we could find anybody that is more focused and directed and committed to giving everything he’s got to every opportunity he’s going to get. And so for us to make this statement today is like it fits perfectly, and we’re so proud to have Maxx [Crosby] be part of the organization. But he knows that’s just the start of it, and all the rest of it comes after we get after the hard work and the dedication and all of the pursuit that makes this thing really special. So we’re starting with a very special person and a player and a man and great family man, and all of that just adds up to this is a great day for us, and we’re really thrilled about it.”
“This is obviously a big commitment and it’s not lost on us how big that is, but there’s no one we’d rather do it with than Maxx [Crosby] and what he stands for and the way he plays the game and the passion. I mean, that’s what coach and I have talked about. And actions are louder than words, and Maxx deserves that credit… just proud of this guy. And I told him last night, this isn’t for what you’ve done, this is about what you’re about to do. And he’s about chasing championships, and so are we, and that’s why we’re excited to start.”
“After the coaching change after the season there was a little bit of mystery, but once Coach [Pete] Carroll got the job, we met for the first time before he got hired, and we’re already breaking balls going back and forth, and we have that relationship that we’re building every day, but it’s all about competition. And I feel like certain people are meant to be in your life for a reason. We’re building our relationship just like all of us up here, but we all have the same goal and that’s to win, and that’s what I’m all about. . . Coach Carroll is one of the best to ever do it. His resume speaks for itself, and it’s an honor to be held to that high of a standard, so I take it very seriously. And like John Spytek says, it’s not about what I’ve done, it’s about what I’m going to do, and that’s what my focus is right now.”
“I’m getting close. We’re getting there. Pete [Carroll] was in there working on my ankle this morning. I’m just playing. No, but we’re getting close. We’re, I would say, about a month or whatever. Like I said, same mentality, day by day. But yeah, we’re in a great place, running on the treadmill, doing a lot of different things now, moving extremely well. So yeah, we’ll be flying in no time.”
“I think Coach [Pete Carroll] and I talked a lot about setting the tone for this new era of Raiders football and I can’t think of a better person to sit up here with and reward for what he’s done, but with an expectation of what’s coming. And we want to grow this to a place that people want to be. And when people like Maxx [Crosby], I mean, it’s no secret, it hasn’t been sunshine and roses around here forever, but when he makes a commitment to the Raiders like this and he stands for everything Coach and I and this new staff and everybody talks about, he signs up for it. I think that that speaks volumes and I hope it’s noticed in our locker room. I hope it’s noticed around the league. And our expectation is we want people to want to be here. We want people, once they get here, to want to stay here. And so, to us, it just made a lot of sense to get it done now.”
“I mean, to be 100 percent honest with you, I don’t even know how to answer that. You know what I mean? I’m so in my own lane and focused on getting better that I really haven’t taken the time to just sit back and enjoy it. Like, I love every single day, I enjoy it and I’m happy every time I wake up. And I could sit there and tap myself on the back and, ‘Man, you did it.’ But there’s so much more I want to accomplish and so many more things I plan on doing. Like I said, when I’m done and retired, I’ll take my wife and our whole crew and we can go on a month-long vacation at that time. But I’m solely focused on right now and where my feet are at. So, yeah, I got a lot of work to do. It’s an absolute honor to have that on my resume. But at the end of the day, it’s about winning and getting rings and continuing to improve. And that’s truly all I’m focused on.”
“The titles and all that stuff is amazing, but I truly just want to win. I don’t care about all the other stuff that comes with it. Obviously, it means a lot to me, being a part of the Silver and Black and the history. I feel like I’ve said it a million times, I feel like I was meant to be a Raider. I love being here. I love the people. And you look at all the legends that created what this brand is, and that’s winning. Ted, Hendricks, Marcus Allen, Charles Woodson, the guys like that, the ones that I look up to, that’s what I want to solidify. And those guys are all about winning. So, it’s one thing to be a face of a franchise, but I want to be a winner. And that’s truly all that matters to me. So, I know these guys are all about the same thing. The labels and all that stuff is cool, but when we’re not winning, it’s like, what are you the face of? I want to be the face of winning, and that’s truly all that matters to me.”
Pete Carroll opening statement:
John Spytek expands on Carroll’s sentiment on Crosby:
Crosby on quick connection with Carroll:
Crosby on his recovery from injury:
Spytek on why it was important to get the deal done now:
Crosby on his journey from small school mid-round pick to highest paid non-QB in NFL history:
Crosby on being the face of the Raiders franchise in this era:
Raiders’ Maxx Crosby makes NFL history with massive 3-year extension: report
Las Vegas Raiders star Maxx Crosby talks to Fox News Digital about President Donald Trump in New Orleans ahead of Super Bowl LIX.
Star defensive lineman Maxx Crosby is staying in Sin City for the long term, and the Las Vegas Raiders made sure of it with a historic extension.
The Raiders announced Wednesday that Crosby agreed to a multiyear extension as they locked up their fourth-round pick from the 2019 NFL Draft.
Crosby agreed to a three-year, $106.5 million extension with a whopping $91.5 million guaranteed, which makes him the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history, per ESPN.
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Maxx Crosby’s extension makes him the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history. (Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images)
Crosby had two years left on the four-year, $94 million deal he signed in 2022 when his rookie deal was up. Now, with his new record-breaking extension, Crosby remains a cornerstone defensive piece for Las Vegas until 2030, when he’s set for unrestricted free agency.
Crosby posted a hype video to his X account after the team announced the move, saying he is “Committed To Excellence. Committed to Silver & Black. Limitless.”
He also told Fox News Digital during Super Bowl LIX week in New Orleans about his excitement for the future under new head coach Pete Carroll, someone whose energy has already been infectious.
“For me, I’m an optimistic person. I want to be a winner, I want a chance to win,” Crosby said. “From everything I’ve seen so far, it’s been encouraging. So, taking it one step at a time, and we’ll see how everything plays out. But I’m excited for the future, for sure.”
RAIDERS’ MAXX CROSBY SHARES ADMIRATION FOR TRUMP, DETAILS RELATIONSHIP WITH PRESIDENT: ‘TREATED ME INCREDIBLE’
He’s been the definition of work ethic and determination to become an absolute force on the line of scrimmage, as Crosby wasn’t the biggest prospect coming out of Eastern Michigan, leading to a Day 2 pick in his draft class.
Maxx Crosby’s extension makes him the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)
However, his presence was felt immediately out of the AFC West, collecting 10.0 sacks, 47 combined tackles and four forced fumbles in 16 games (10 starts) for the Raiders in 2019. He finished runner-up for AP Defensive Rookie of the Year, but it was clear the Raiders had a star in the making on their hands.
Crosby has made four straight Pro Bowls from 2021-24 and led the NFL in tackles for loss in 2022 and 2023. He had 12.5 sacks and 14.5 sacks, respectively, in those seasons as well.
Crosby had to deal with injury in a rough 2024 campaign for Las Vegas, though he still had 7.5 sacks and 17 tackles for loss over 12 games. The rollover of coaches and trade rumors has accumulated over the years as Las Vegas hasn’t found consistent winning since 2021 – their last playoff berth.
But optimism is ahead with Carroll, who carries championship pedigree with a Super Bowl and an NCAA title under his belt, joining Las Vegas at a time when owner Mark Davis wants to turn the tide.
Maxx Crosby’s extension makes him the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history. (AP Photo/David Becker)
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Making sure one of the team’s best players is happy to help with that rise from the valley was crucial for the Raiders this offseason, and Crosby is staying in the place he’ll call home for the foreseeable future.
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Scott Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.
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