Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby has found himself in an unexpected back and forth with former NFL cornerback Aqib Talib, and things are starting to get a little bit nasty.
It all started several days ago when Talib got into a heated discussion with Skip Bayless and ex-NFL lineman Richie Incognito on The Arena. Talib was fiercely defending Green Bay Packers edge rusher Micah Parsons against those who say he can’t stop the run, stating that Crosby does not see the same type of criticism when the Raiders surrender a lot of yards on the ground.
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Crosby caught wind of Talib’s comments and fired back on The Rush, calling Talib “uneducated” and instructing him to check the stats and watch the film.
Well, now Talib has fired back.
“I didn’t say you ain’t stop the run,” Talib said. “I was making a point that when your team gives up 150 (rushing yards), Skip don’t say, ‘You didn’t stop the run,’ because it’s not all on you. You did a great job stopping the run. So you watch clips and you say some out of line [expletive] because you watch clips and you don’t watch the full show.”
While Talib was sure to compliment Crosby and say he likes him as a player, he made it clear that he was not happy with Crosby’s verbiage.
“So watch your tone Maxx,” Talib said. “I’m ‘uneducated’ and all that, I don’t really play like that. Watch your tone, fam.”
It should be noted that Talib was smiling as he responded, but it seems pretty obvious that he didn’t take kindly to Crosby’s response and wanted to make sure the Raiders superstar knew that.
As for Crosby’s ability to stop the run? He has long been one of the best run-stopping edge rushers in football and even the top-ranked edge against the run at Pro Football Focus in 2023.
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The 28-year-old has logged 37 tackles, five sacks and an interception through nine games this season and is aiming to make his fifth straight Pro Bowl appearance.
Crosby entered the league as a fourth-round draft pick in 2019 and has spent his entire NFL career with the Raiders. His best campaign thus far came in 2023, when he racked up 90 tackles, 23 tackles for loss and 14.5 sacks.
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