Cousins grabs Crosby's jersey after second camp hit — SkimNews
SkimNews Take
Teammates intervening — rather than letting the exchange play out as routine camp intensity — suggests the hits crossed a line even the rest of the locker room read as counterproductive, offering an early read on how a new QB-veteran pairing is calibrating physicality during install.
Get the Sports newsletter
Daily sports — scores, transfers, the storylines from the leagues you actually follow. Free.
- Maxx Crosby hit Kirk Cousins twice during the team period at the Raiders' eighth training camp practice Friday in Henderson, Nev., with the second blow to Cousins' arm triggering the confrontation.
- Cousins responded by getting into Crosby's face, grabbing the All-Pro pass rusher's jersey and exchanging words before the scuffle was broken up by teammates.
- Coach Klint Kubiak downplayed the incident as part of camp but warned players they would be ejected from a game for throwing punches, calling the pair "two leaders on our team going at it."
- Tight end Michael Mayer defended Cousins' reaction, saying "you want him to defend your team" and noting Cousins has carried that edge since arriving in Las Vegas.
- Crosby himself acknowledged at the start of training camp that his aggressive style is lifelong, recalling Eastern Michigan coach Chris Creighton once had to kick him out of practice for being too physical.
- The coaching staff had specifically warned Crosby before camp about touching the quarterback, though he did so anyway during Friday's session.
- A separate scuffle broke out earlier in the same practice when defensive lineman Jonah Laulu punched second-year right guard Caleb Rogers.
Why it matters: The incident spotlights a tension every NFL camp manages: a star pass rusher whose aggression fuels his All-Pro production versus the need to protect the $180M quarterback signed to run the offense. Kubiak's response — praising both men as leaders rather than disciplining either — signals the Raiders view this as competitive energy, not a discipline problem, though Crosby's history of crossing the line (even in college) raises the stakes every time he goes full speed against his own QB.
Ask SkimNews
