Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby will miss Monday night’s game against the Atlanta Falcons due to an ankle injury. He hadn’t missed a snap in seven games but missed every day of practice this week.
Crosby, 27, has 7 1/2 sacks on the year and is tied for the league lead with 17 tackles for loss. He hadn’t missed a game his entire career before sitting out with an ankle sprain in Week 4 against the Cleveland Browns — strangely enough one of the Raiders’ two wins on the year.
Charles Snowden had a game-sealing sack in that game, but it’s unclear if he will play Sunday. He was arrested on a charge of driving under the influence of alcohol and/or a controlled or prohibited substance Tuesday, according to Las Vegas Justice Court records.
Snowden practiced all week, and coach Antonio Pierce said, “We handled it internally, and then after that, it’s up to the league and legal.”
Crosby suffered a high-ankle sprain in Week 2 against the Baltimore Ravens and aggravated the injury in Week 3 against the Carolina Panthers. Although Crosby has not missed another game since the Browns win, the injury is something he has had to push through all season.
The Raiders are already without four other defensive starters: defensive tackle Christian Wilkins, edge rusher Malcolm Koonce, cornerback Jakorian Bennett and safety Marcus Epps. They have lost nine straight games, and while they are in position to draft first in the NFL Draft, Pierce has said players and coaches alike are trying to win spots for next season.
At quarterback, Desmond Ridder will likely get the start for the Raiders against his old team Monday. Aidan O’Connell was carted off the field Sunday with a bone bruise on his knee and Pierce said he was fighting to play versus Atlanta, but O’Connell missed his third straight practice on Saturday. O’Connell is officially listed as questionable for Monday night.
The Falcons selected Ridder in the third round of the 2022 draft, and he went 2-2 as a starter at the end of that season. The team benched Ridder after starting 6-7 in 2023 and later traded him to the Arizona Cardinals.
“We have to get ready for (Ridder),” Falcons coach Raheem Morris said. “He can run the football. He’s athletic. He’s big. He can throw the football.”
Required reading
- Maxx Crosby, Raiders fighting a familiar feeling: ‘Been dealing with it my whole career’
- Falcons excited about Las Vegas reunion with old friend Desmond Ridder
(Photo: Ethan Miller / Getty Images)
