Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby was caught on camera pushing linebackers coach Mike Caldwell after returning to the sideline late in Sunday’s 32-13 loss to the Steelers, but he said after the game that there are no bad feelings between the two men.
Crosby had just shared a sack with defensive tackle John Jenkins before shoving Caldwell and the sight touched off social media questions about what might have happened between the two men. After the game, Crosby posted that it was a “love push” and expanded on what happened while speaking with reporters after the game.
Crosby said Caldwell was hyping him up and repeated “I love Mike Caldwell” multiple times during his media session.
“Mike Caldwell is a great dude,” Crosby said, via Vic Tafur of TheAthletic.com. “We have a great relationship and we do that all the time. It’s like, you know, people look at it: ‘Oh, they’re losing and then Maxx pushes him.’ That’s how we play football. We’re grown men. We’re alpha males. We don’t greet each other the same. . . . The camera, it made it look bad. It looked like I was throwing him out the club, but that was not what happened at all.”
Crosby’s comments should put any thoughts of an issue with Caldwell to bed, but the Raiders still have their hands full with the Davante Adams saga, the search for consistent quarterback play and several other issues that have contributed to their 2-4 start.