Houston Texans rookie Keylan Rutledge is the real deal, as Maxx Crosby found out.
During Tuesday’s joint practice against the Las Vegas Raiders, Rutledge and several of his Texans teammates got into a confrontation with the Raiders star defensive end. By all accounts, the altercation was over quickly, just as it began.
However, when all was said and done, Rutledge stood out from the crowd. It is just was he has done during the Texans’ offseason program and training camp.
Keylan Rutledge Mixes It Up With Maxx Crosby in Raiders-Texans Joint Practice
GettyKeylan Rutledge does not back down from anyone, even Maxx Crosby.
The Texans traded up for Rutledge, moving two spots in a deal with the Buffalo Bills to select the former Georgia Tech offensive lineman with the 26th overall pick in the 2026 draft.
Since then, Rutledge has made his presence felt on the practice field on a daily basis. He has had several incidents similar to the one he had with Max Crosby on Tuesday. It is just the latest encouraging sign for the Texans from a player that they’ve already invested so heavily in.
Most encouragingly, Rutledge still has so far to go in terms of reaching his full potential.
“Scrap no. 5 coming today for rookie Keylan Rutledge during #Texans joint practice vs Raiders?” SportsTalk 790’s Adam Wexler posted on X on August 18, quickly getting an answer.
“Houston Stressans” host Garrett Williams was among those who could only guess as to Rutledge’s involvement, posting, “Texans & Raiders little scuffle. Maxx Crosby at center of it. Would assume Keylan Rutledge was involved [hysterical laughing emoji].”
Tuesday’s practice started innocuously enough.
It quickly became evident that the Texans’ investments in their trenches were going to pay off, highlighted by Rutledge standing out amid the altercation with Crosby.
“Feisty moment between #Raiders Maxx Crosby and #Texans OL,” KPRC 2’s Aaron Wilson posted in reaction to the brief altercation on the field. “Rookie center Keylan Rutledge in thick of brief flareup.”
Maxx Crosby Makes Presence Felt vs Texans
GettyMaxx Crosby got his in practice against the Texans.
Like Wilson, others in attendance explained that this was not a major throwdown. Instead, it was something, the likes of which can be found during training camps across the NFL.
Having another team to scrap with only increases that likelihood.
To be clear, though, Crosby and, to a lesser extent, bookend Kwity Paye got theirs, with The Athletic’s Sam Warren posting after practice, “Raiders defense got a good pass rush,” and that “Maxx Crosby had a couple of sacks.”
Crosby drew attention for his pre-practice relaxation session. He also received high praise from Texans quarterback and his counterpart, Houston EDGE Will Anderson Jr.
Both recognized Crosby as one of the best players in the NFL.
That is a reminder for anyone dinging the Texans’ offensive line for the pressure Crosby was able to generate for himself and others to make plays. The Texans put forth an encouraging effort ahead of Thursday’s tilt.
DeMeco Ryans Praises O-Line After Joint Practice With Raiders
GettyDeMeco Ryans was pleased with the Texans after practicing against the Raiders.
Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans was happy with what he saw from Rutledge and the rest of the offensive line and team.
“Standing there behind the offensive line, just hearing the communication. All the guys getting on the same page,” Ryans told reporters on August 18. “Really proud of, starting with our centers (i.e., Rutledge), for the way they communicated. Also, our quarterbacks–and everybody–echoing the calls to make sure we’re on the same page against a different front. Really happy that we were able to get some 5-down looks, so we could really stress our communication, and it worked well for us today.”
Next, Rutledge and the Texans have to do it in their preseason matchup.
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