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Pete Carroll's only season with the Las Vegas Raiders didn't go as expected. Geno Smith cratered, Ashton Jeanty looked mortal and star pass rusher Maxx Crosby was shut down for the rest of the season ... and reportedly wasn't happy about it.
But if Crosby harbored any ill will toward Carroll for that decision, the pass rusher has already put it aside. Crosby had nothing but nice things to say about Carroll when asked about the coach's firing during an appearance on the Let's Go! podcast Monday.
"I haven't had time to really process it, to be honest. I just found out. I'm here in the building and literally see it pop up on the TV. So it was kinda gloomy, I would say. It's something that I've been a part of before.
"Just to speak on Pete, this season didn't go the way we expected it at all. From the players to the coaches, I don't think anyone expected we would be in this position and be getting the No. 1 pick to be honest. But I will say, the one thing I did admit about Pete is he was as consistent as they come. He's won for such a long time. He's a Super Bowl champion. He won a national championship at USC. He's been an incredible coach and he's had an incredible journey.
"Unfortunately, this thing didn't work out the way we expected it. But he's done an incredible job and had an incredible career. He was always awesome to me. Still gonna have that relationship regardless. Had a lot of coaches in my time, to say the least, but all of those coaches, you take something from them, you learn something from them ... I wish him the best. Like I said, he was always incredible to me and treated me amazing. So, big shoutout to coach Pete. We'll see what happens next."
While Crosby's interview was recorded Monday, the podcast episode did not release until Tuesday.
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Carroll, 74, was a bold hire for the Raiders after he spent the 2024 season out of the NFL. After a year off, Carroll was brought to the Raiders to help re-invigorate the franchise and get it back on track.
That didn't happen. Las Vegas finished 3-14 and earned the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Despite all his previous success with the Seattle Seahawks, Carroll was fired after just one season in Las Vegas.
The end of the Carroll era came with some controversy, as Crosby was shut down with two games remaining in the regular season due to a knee injury. Crosby seemingly took issue with that, and posted videos of himself playing basketball and playing on a trampoline right after being shut down.
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Following that shut down, there were reports suggesting Crosby's relationship with the team was strained.
Crosby's podcast appearance on Let's Go! seems to refute that. Crosby didn't appear to speak about the Carroll situation with any animosity, and the fact that he was already back at team facilities after briefly leaving suggests his relationship with the Raiders isn't broken.
While that's a good sign, it might not stop the Raiders from trading the 28-year-old star in the offseason. After a miserable year, Las Vegas is desperately in need of a major rebuild. Having the No. 1 overall pick helps, but the team could benefit from having multiple first-round picks over the next couple seasons if it decides to trade Crosby.
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