The Las Vegas Raiders are looking to turn the page after a rough 2025, one that ended in a 3-14 record and last place in the AFC West. That finish came with a silver lining, though, landing Las Vegas the No. 1 overall pick and another building block for a franchise entering a new phase.
Kirk Cousins was brought in this offseason to provide veteran leadership while rookie Fernando Mendoza continues to develop behind him. On the other side of the ball, Maxx Crosby remains the anchor of the Raiders defense, having racked up 73 tackles and 10 sacks last season despite facing regular double teams.
His motor has rarely slowed, even in stretches when the rest of the defense struggled to get pressure or come away with takeaways. That same intensity showed up Friday during practice in Henderson, Nevada.
Crosby got under Cousins' skin after hitting the quarterback's arm twice in a team period, and the second hit was enough to set the usually composed Cousins off. He went after Crosby, grabbing his jersey as the two exchanged words before teammates rushed in to break it up.
Cousins remained in the drill and finished it with the first-team offense, while Crosby was sent off to the side. New head coach Klint Kubiak addressed the fallout Saturday.
According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Kubiak told reporters that both Cousins and Crosby were being held out of practice for violating team rules by fighting Friday. Neither player was sidelined for long, as both returned to practice activities shortly after.
Kubiak later brushed off the incident as something that tends to happen during camp, while noting he still expects his two veteran leaders to manage their emotions better going forward. It wasn't the only scuffle of the week for Las Vegas.
Defensive tackle Jonah Laulu and guard Caleb Rogers got into a separate altercation Friday, though both were back on the field without issue for Saturday's session.
