"There was a possibility I could lose my life": Maxx Crosby opens up about close call with death on Thanksgiving days before Chiefs game
Maxx Crosby pushes through no matter what. On Sunday, he ended his 86-game streak of not missing a single NFL game. Moreover, it was the first game he had missed in his entire football career, including high school and college, due to an injury.
In Monday's episode of the "Let's Go" podcast, which he hosts with eight-time Super Bowl champion Bill Belichick, the Las Vegas Raiders defensive end spoke about what it was like to miss the first NFL game of his six-year pro career.
"I've never missed a game due to injury, I don't think, in middle school, high school, college, none of that," Crosby said. "So, yeah, it was a different experience."
But he came close to missing one last year. During the Thanksgiving week, on Sunday, the Raiders were set to face the Kansas City Chiefs. But his knee was giving him trouble.
"I'm in the hospital, in surgery, getting my knee, had tubes through my knee, and had to get my whole knee drained and fluid put through it," Maxx Crosby said (Timestamp: 25:48). "Because if it gets in my bloodstream, that infection, there was a possibility I could lose my life, and it's not even exaggerating."
Crosby missed Sunday's outing against the Cleveland Browns due to a high-ankle sprain. The team activated K’Lavon Chaisson from the practice squad to replace him. The Raiders managed to win 20-16, but it was far from a perfect game.
"Honestly, I've never been more stressed during a football game," Crosby said. "I've never experienced watching my own team from home, and I was losing my mind the whole time."
However, he is set to return on Sunday for the team's game at their divisional rivals, the Denver Broncos.
Maxx Crosby places his bet on Gardner Minshew over Aidan O'Connell
In a previous episode of the podcast, while the Minshew vs. O'Connell debate was still raging, the edge rusher sided with Gardner Minshew.
"Gardner's our guy," Crosby said. "We know that. Obviously, we love Aidan. You know, Aidan's a stud. He won, you know, helped us win a lot of games last year. But Gardner's our guy. At the end of the day, I just want to win. Gardner's our quarterback, is our captain, and he's done a hell of a job so far."
The Raiders (2-2) will face the Broncos (2-2) on Sunday. With Denver struggling to find its footing with rookie quarterback Bo Nix, can Maxx Crosby and his team climb up the AFC West ladder?