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Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby has earned a reputation as being an iron man. He’s led all defensive in the NFL in snaps in back-to-back seasons. He’s also never missed a game in his NFL career.
Last season, it looked like there was a chance he might miss the team’s Week 12 game against the Kansas City Chiefs due to an infection in his knee. He decided to play through the injury, which presented a serious risk. While Crosby was OK, he had to undergo multiple surgeries this offseason.
Raiders Hall of Fame defensive end Howie Long also had a reputation as a player who would play through injuries. He recently told Crosby that he needs to be more cautious and there’s nothing wrong with taking snaps off.
“Listen, I’m not going to tell you what to do, because I played the same number of snaps,” Long said on the June 25 episode of “The Rush with Maxx Crosby.” “You know I didn’t rotate, there was no rotating then. Now they rotate and that can be a good thing you know, it’s like you could pick a spot here or there to take a blow and you know inevitably if I hit you with a hammer enough, you’re going to blink.
“When you’re at the kind of snaps you are, I think you were the No. 1 defensive lineman in snaps played percentage-wise, I’d like to see you rotate a little bit more, just as an alumni, an older brother, you know someone who wants to see you do great.”
Time will tell if Crosby takes the advice but there’s no doubt he respects Long, who may be the greatest defensive lineman in Raiders history.