Maxx Crosby signed a massive contract extension with the Las Vegas Raiders to become the highest-paid defensive player in NFL history. Crosby is the face of the Raiders franchise and is now tied to the organization for another three seasons.
Crosby’s extension reset the market for edge rushers and is the first step in building a contender for Pete Carroll in his first season as the head coach of the Raiders.
Jalen Ramsey Takes to Social Media To Congratulate Crosby
Seven-time Pro Bowl cornerback Jalen Ramsey was among the first players to weigh in on Crosby’s extension. “YEAHHHHH … EARNED,” said Ramsey on X. The extension is worth $106.5 million over three years, with $91.5 million guaranteed.
YEAHHHHH @CrosbyMaxx … EARNED! https://t.co/tsDaXOo6Bq
— Jalen Ramsey (@jalenramsey) March 5, 2025
Ramsey is entering his 10th season in the NFL and is coming off a season where he registered 60 tackles (39 solo, 21 assisted), including one sack, and 11 pass deflections, including two interceptions.
Crosby has made the Pro Bowl in each of the past four seasons while establishing himself as one of the most disruptive defensive linemen in the NFL. In 12 games played in 2024, Crosby registered 7.5 sacks, 17 total tackles for loss, and five pass deflections for a Raiders defense that ranked No. 21 in PFSN’s Defense+ Rankings, with a score of 70.9 (C-).
The Raiders will hope for a full healthy season out of Crosby to get the most out of their defense. Alongside Christian Wilkins, Crosby gives the Raiders one of the league’s most dominant defensive-line duos, with health being the only thing holding them back last season.
What This Extension Means for the EDGE Market
Crosby is the first domino to fall in the edge-rusher market. T.J. Watt, Micah Parsons, Trey Hendrickson, and Danielle Hunter are all due for massive raises, with their contracts expiring at the end of the 2025 season. In addition to those names, Myles Garrett has already requested a trade out of Cleveland and will likely be looking for a new contract with the market being reset at the position.
Crosby’s extension nets him $35.5 million per season, a new NFL record. With that set as the new bar and the salary cap increasing again, the price has likely gone up for many of these other top names at the position.
The NFL informed teams today that the 2025 salary cap will be roughly $277.5M-$281.5M, per @DanGrazianoESPN.
That's an increase of $22.1M-$26.1M from last year — and beats what most executives were anticipating. 📈📈 pic.twitter.com/gnqFiBvGlH
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) February 19, 2025
With Carroll and new general manager John Spytek at the helm, the Raiders have already extended Crosby and signed free-agent offensive guard Alex Cappa to a two-year contract worth $11.2 million.
The Raiders entered the offseason with the second-most cap space in the NFL and will presumably be active once the official free-agency period begins on March 12.