The Las Vegas Raiders had their first real drama of training camp when quarterback Kirk Cousins and defensive end Maxx Crosby had a bit of a scuffle at practice. While no punches were thrown, Cousins got upset with Crosby for hitting his hand during a drill that was supposed to have no contact with the quarterback.
Cousins grabbed Crosby’s jersey, and the two got into a shouting match. The whole situation simply seems like the kind of intensity to be expected from a football practice, but the Raiders took it seriously and held both of them out of practice for a day.
They only missed one practice and were back on the field together on Monday. Mike Dixon of Vegas Sports Today caught Cousins and Crosby’s first interaction at the Monday practice. Cousins runs up to Crosby and greets him, and the defensive end gives him a friendly tap on the helmet.
There doesn’t seem to be any lingering tension between the two. Crosby’s job is to get under a quarterback’s skin, which is something he has gotten great at. He is Cousins’ teammate, but this is good practice for the regular season. Having to deal with Crosby all training camp will make Cousins more prepared.
Crosby Likes to Test Limits
Crosby only knows one speed, which is great for the Raiders, but not great for quarterbacks. However, the quarterback is the most important position on the team. That’s why they’re not supposed to be hit in practice.
Crosby would never hit his team’s quarterback at full speed in practice, but he does get closer than most players will. He believes it’s just his nature and he’s just trying to make everybody around him better.
“I know that I push the line, and sometimes I go over the line,” Crosby told reporters previously before the altercation went down. “Ultimately, it’s because I want to be the greatest at what I do, and I want to push my teammates to be the greatest version of themselves. So, when you get out there, and bullets are flying, I’m not thinking about not finishing the play. That’s just not in my nature. So, that’s something I’ve been dealing with my whole career.”
Tre Tucker Praises Cousins
Cousins has been playing football for a long time, so it’s hard to imagine his scuffle with Crosby will have any lingering effects. Though he’s new to the team this year, he’s already making a strong impression.
Wide receiver Tre Tucker has loved working with Cousins.
“I really appreciate my time working with him. [He’s] making me better,” Tucker said of Cousins recently in a press conference. “Very bright IQ. That was a great addition for us to add him because it’s going to make us all better.”
Cousins may likely only be a one-and-done with the Raiders, but he can help get them going in the right direction and make life easier for Fernando Mendoza when he’s ready to start playing. The fact that Cousins is well-liked by his teammates will help him hold off the rookie for now.
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