Though the Raiders’ playoff hopes have realistically been extinguished as they enter Thursday’s game against the Chargers at 5-8, defensive end Maxx Crosby won’t hear of any suggestion to shut things down for the rest of the season.
Crosby has been playing through a knee injury for several weeks, at one point becoming one of the first players this season to play despite being listed as doubtful. Crosby was asked on Wednesday about staying motivated despite the team’s record and noted, among other things, that he’s planning on playing every game for the rest of the year.
“There’s a lot of bullshit going around talking about shutting people down because of this and that. But that’s a bunch of bullshit,” Crosby said, via Andrew Sicilinao of NFL Media. “At the end of the day, we play and train all year round to play 17 guaranteed, so that’s what we plan on doing. We’ve got to finish the season strong, so it’s one at a time.
“Quick turnaround with the Chargers, so we’re definitely looking forward to getting out there again.”
Crosby, who has never missed a game since the Raiders selected him in the fourth round of the 2019 draft, has set a new career-high with 13.5 sacks this season. He’s also leading the league with 18 tackles for loss and 22 quarterback hits.
While Crosby is listed as questionable, he’s expected to play against the Chargers on Thursday night.
