"He was f***ed up" - Maxx Crosby gets real on Jon Gruden’s emotional state following controversial Raiders exit
Maxx Crosby opened up about his former coach and his state of mind when he left Oakland. The defensive end was drafted by the Raiders in 2019, during Jon Gruden’s second stint as the team's coach.
In 2021, Gruden resigned five games into the campaign after emails of him surfaced making racist, misogynistic and homophobic slurs. They were sent to Washington general manager Bruce Allen between 2018 and 2019, that mentioned among others, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.
On Johnny Manziel’s "Glory Daze" YouTube show, Crosby talked about what Gruden went through when it became public.
“I went to Gruden’s house right after it happened," Crosby said on Thursday (0:02). "He was just sitting in his living room. He was just sitting in the corner like the godfather, and he couldn’t even look me in the eyes, he was f***ed up and he was tearing up.”
Crosby added that Gruden apologized profusely.
“I was like coach stop f***ing apologizing, I love you to death, like you’re the one that gave me a shot when nobody else did," Crosby said. "The guy is still after all this s**t, I still love him and he’s like ‘I’ll be back, I’ll be back.’”
Crosby was selected in the fourth round in 2019, during year two of Gruden’s second stint.
“The dude is addicted to football, that’s all he does and I think he will get another opportunity whether it’s college or being a head coach somewhere or coming back to the league and doing it at some point,” Crosby said (05:14).
After resigning as Raiders coach, Gruden was invited to attend offseason meetings of the New Orleans Saints in 2023, but did not join the staff full-time. He also worked as an advisor for the Milano Seamen of the European League of Football in March 2024.
Jon Gruden at Baltimore Ravens camp
It may take a while for some to forgive Jon Gruden after what happened in 2021, but the Baltimore Ravens appreciate what he brings to the table. He helped John Harbaugh during OTAs last week.
“He studied us," Harbaugh said on June 6, via baltimoreravens.com. "Basically, the message was, 'If I was game planning against you on defense, what would I do, how would I attack you?' He didn't just stop there. He watched our offensive guys. He had something for each player. Very, very detailed.”
The Ravens have won the AFC North in back-to-back years and have been to the playoffs each of the last three seasons.