Maxx Crosby and Kirk Cousins were both held out of practice on Saturday in Las Vegas after a Friday afternoon altercation that led to a violation of team rules. The incident was another reminder of Crosby’s aggressive edge in practice, and it also created an immediate opening for Fernando Mendoza to step in with the first team.
According to the timeline, Crosby hit Cousins twice during a team period at Raiders practice before Cousins grabbed Crosby’s jersey and the pair were separated. On Saturday, both players were kept out, with Klint Kubiak describing the reason as a violation of team rules.
Crosby's practice intensity has crossed the line before
This was not the first time Crosby has been viewed as too aggressive in a training setting. During Crosby’s time at Eastern Michigan, Chris Creighton reportedly kicked him out of practice multiple times for being too aggressive.
That pattern followed him into the professional game. In 2019, the Raiders drafted Crosby in the fourth round, and during his rookie season Jon Gruden threatened to cut him for batting balls down in practice. Crosby later discussed that Gruden incident on Pardon My Take in 2024.
Those details help explain why Friday’s flare-up was treated as more than a routine training-ground clash. Crosby is a five-time Pro Bowler and one of the Raiders’ most important players, but the latest incident again highlighted the fine line between competitive fire and team discipline.
Fernando Mendoza gets the next look
With Crosby and Cousins unavailable on Saturday, Fernando Mendoza took first-team reps with the Raiders' offense. That is the immediate football significance of the scuffle: a disciplinary issue quickly turned into a live practice opportunity for a rookie who would not otherwise have been at the front of the queue.
The wider question now is whether the Raiders treat this as a one-off or as part of a longer conversation about Crosby’s practice habits. The facts show this has happened before in different settings, and the team response suggests the standard remains clear: compete hard, but do not cross the line.
