The Las Vegas Raiders haven’t had many silver linings since losing Super Bowl 37. Controversies and tragedies have marred the organization, and the team has churned through 13 head coaches in the past 23 seasons. The Raiders made two postseason appearances in that span, but failed to clinch a victory on both occasions.
Despite the team’s struggles, they managed to find a hidden gem when they selected Eastern Michigan University defensive end Maxx Crosby in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft.
In many ways, Crosby has been the prototypical cornerstone to build a defense around. The 27-year-old has become the face of the franchise, often shining as a lone bright spot through lean years. The Raiders signed Crosby to a three-year, $106.5 million contract extension with $91.5 million in guaranteed money this offseason, making him the highest-paid non-quarterback in the league at the time of the signing.
Maxx Crosby named assistant general manager by his alma mater
With his contract secured, Crosby is now adding another job to his résumé. Crosby was named the assistant general manager for Eastern Michigan University’s football team, the school announced on Monday.
His new role will entail evaluating high school and transfer portal prospects, manage the team’s NIL/revenue share budget, and assist the athletic director with fundraising, alumni relations and student-athlete support.
Crosby is the first active NFL player to hold an administrative title with an NCAA team during his playing career, but it’s not entirely unprecedented. Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry was named the assistant general manager of Davidson College, his alma mater, last month.
During his three seasons at Eastern Michigan, Crosby set a program record for career sacks (20) and logged the third-most tackles for loss (41) in school history. That success carried over into the NFL, where Crosby has recorded 59.5 sacks in six seasons.
While some teams may consider the job a distraction, the star pass rusher has earned the benefit of the doubt. Regardless of the bleak outlook of the season or state of the team, he’s displayed relentless effort and commitment. When active, Crosby has played at least 95 percent of the team’s defensive snaps in each of the past three seasons, often battling through injuries to remain on the field.
Crosby’s deal is front-loaded, carrying a $32.5 million cap hit in 2025 before incrementally decreasing each season. Las Vegas has a potential escape hatch after the 2027 season, when they’d be able to release him without any dead cap charge, via Spotrac. However, his cap hit will be down to just $27.2 million by then.
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