The Las Vegas Raiders closed out a painful 2025 season with a 3-14 record, but salvaged their finale with a 14-12 upsetwin over the Kansas City Chiefs on January 4, 2026. Through the struggles, defensive end Maxx Crosby remained the team’s most reliable performer, earning his fifth consecutive Pro Bowl nod.
Now, weeks into a tense offseason, one quiet internal move has drawn the loudest reaction of any front-office decision so far, and Crosby’s response said everything.
Maxx Crosby Reacts to Raiders DC Rob Leonard Hire
The Raiders promoted Rob Leonard from run game coordinator and defensive line coach to defensive coordinator on February 14, 2026. Leonard, 38, joined the team in 2023 as defensive line coach and added run game coordinator duties in 2025.
The promotion marks his first defensive coordinator role in 13 NFL seasons that also included stints with the New York Giants, Miami Dolphins, and Baltimore Ravens.
Maxx Crosby Reacts to Raiders DC Hire as Las Vegas Bets on Continuity
Maxx Crosby Reacts to Raiders DC Hire With Trade Rumors Swirling (Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images)
His bond with Crosby built steadily over three seasons. In 2025, Crosbyfinished with 10.0 sacks and 28 tackles for loss, second-most in the NFL. The Raiders’ run defense ranked tied for second in the league, allowing just 3.9 yards per carry, and the unit posted 105 tackles for loss, third in the NFL.
Those bright spots came despite the team ranking 25th in points allowed and 24th in sacks overall, making Leonard’s work with the defensive line one of the few consistent positives.
When the promotion was announced, Crosbyposted a single word on his Instagram story: “legend.” For a player who had stayed notably silent throughout this offseason’s coaching changes, the reaction stood out immediately.
The promotion carries extra weight given the tension that built up between Crosby and the front office late in the season. The Raiders placed Crosby on injured reserve for the team’s final two games, citing a knee injury he had been playing through since October.
Fox Sports insider Jay Glazerreported that Crosby vehemently disagreed with the decision and left the team facility shortly after being told. The fallout was immediate, with reports of trade interest from roughly 20 teams surfacing within days and Crosby openly saying he would evaluate his future with Las Vegas.
He appeared on The Herd with Colin Cowherd shortly after and declined to fuel trade speculation,saying he did not want to “throw gasoline on the fire,” though he stopped well short of ruling out a departure.
Reports indicate over a quarter of NFL teams have expressed interest in acquiring the 28-year-old, who is under contract through 2029. Keeping Leonard, the one coach most closely tied to Crosby’s success, signals the Raiders want to repair that relationship and fight to retain their defensive cornerstone.
The Leonard promotion is the clearest sign yet of where new head coach Klint Kubiak’s priorities lie as the 2026 rebuild takes shape, and what comes next will reveal whether one word on a phone screen can reflect something deeper.
The Raiders open their 2026 AFC West campaign against familiar rivals the Chiefs and Chargers, with home matchups against the Bills and Dolphins among their early tests. How Crosby fits into that picture, in Las Vegas or elsewhere, remains the offseason‘s defining question.