Raiders coach Klint Kubiak says Maxx Crosby will sit out the 2026 preseason

Maxx Crosby will not play in the Raiders’ 2026 preseason games, a decision reported by Yahoo Sports after a public comment from head coach Klint Kubiak. The move places more of the team’s early-game workload on backup edge rushers and inside pass rushers, while keeping Crosby off the field during exhibition action.

The decision matters because Crosby is the Raiders’ most established pressure driver, and preseason snaps are often the closest thing teams get to proving their front seven’s rhythm before meaningful games begin. By limiting Crosby’s workload in exhibition football, the Raiders are effectively shifting the team’s early evaluation toward younger or less-frequent options at the edge and toward schematic continuity rather than individual preseason production.

Yahoo Sports described Crosby’s offseason as “tumultuous,” but the report, as provided here, does not spell out the underlying reasons or the exact nature of the decision beyond the stated plan for him to sit out the preseason. Without additional specifics from an official team statement in the available material, it is best to treat the information as a coaching and roster-management call rather than a detailed medical or disciplinary update.

Kubiak’s approach also reflects a familiar NFL tradeoff. Teams want to build timing and conditioning across the roster, but they do not always need their most important players taking live-game reps when training camp fundamentals can cover much of the same ground. For a star defensive player, the preseason can be a low-return environment if the primary goal is readiness for Week 1 rather than auditioning depth.

For Raiders fans, the practical question becomes what the defensive staff can accomplish without Crosby’s presence. If the Raiders plan to keep other starters and key rotational pieces similarly managed, it will increase scrutiny on how the defensive line generates pressure, how often it wins one-on-one matchups, and whether the secondary has to compensate with increased coverage help. Those factors will shape how much confidence the coaching staff can take into the regular season.

What to watch next is whether the Raiders provide any further clarity on their preseason deployment decisions, including whether Crosby will return for the start of the regular season on schedule and how the team plans to use other edge options during the exhibition slate. If the Raiders confirm a broader workload plan for multiple starters, that would suggest a deliberate strategy aimed at preserving health and reducing risk as the season approaches.