Crosby, a fourth-round pick in 2019, became a star with the Raiders and became an important team manager and captain since the club moved to Las Vegas in 2020. There has since been plenty of turmoil along the way with a number of head coaching changes — the offseason hiring of Klint Kubiak being the latest — and several offseasons, but Crosby expressed what it meant to wear the silver and black, literally with the Raiders crest on it. sleeve memory.
In his seven seasons with the Raiders, Crosby had 69.5 sacks and 133 tackles for loss, respectively, which tied him for third and first on the all-time rushing list. Also considered an iron man, he consistently played through illness to play in every game through his first five seasons, missing just seven starts since 2020.
“I can’t believe it’s a real thing,” Crosby said. “It’s been seven years to be with the nation. The Raider nation has given me, everything. My family, had a change to get married, have the most beautiful daughter in the world. I’ve grown as a man, as a player, as a leader, as a person and one thing I can say above all else is that I gave you everything I got and I don’t regret trying to win it as a Raider.”
Trying to return to the playoffs and turn the page on John Harbaugh’s tenure, the Ravens gave up significant money for the 28-year-old Crosby, who should fit seamlessly into a defense undergoing its own changes after the hiring of Jesse Minter as head coach. Armed with a star-studded roster led by two-time MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson, Crosby bolsters a talented defense that includes Roquan Smith, Kyle Hamilton and Marlon Humphrey.
Crosby expressed his excitement about joining the Ravens, but insisted that “confidence has to be earned” upon his arrival in Baltimore.
“Flock nation, everybody in the whole city of Baltimore, I’ve got a lot to learn,” Crosby said. “It’s all going to be new for me and I’m excited and we’re going to deal with it like I do anything else. Fans out there, I’m not going to sit here and make a bunch of grandiose predictions or anything like that. I’m going there with one goal and that’s to help this team get to where it needs to be and that’s where everybody wants to win the Super Bowl and that.”
While he will soon be welcomed with open arms in Baltimore and likely one step closer to Super Bowl contention in 2026, Crosby’s previous experience with the Raiders took precedence over talk of his bright future with the Ravens.
A heart-felt farewell to Crosby who was at times filled with regret, but never lacking in gratitude for the club that took a chance on him as an unknown pass rusher out of Eastern Michigan in 2019.
“I feel like I left everything I had on the table for this team,” he said. “I’ve given my heart and soul and I feel like I let you go man. From Day 1 I’ve wanted to create and build a winner with the Raiders.”