Maxx Crosby Reveals Surprising Reason Trent Williams Is His Ultimate Inspiration

So here we are, fresh off the joint practices between the Raiders and 49ers—two teams squaring off in preparation for the preseason, but with a curious twist: Maxx Crosby, the fiery defensive end, didn’t get the showdown many of us were itching to see. Why’s that a big deal? Because Crosby missed the chance to go head-to-head against Trent Williams, a veritable titan on the offensive line and, let’s be real, one of the game’s true craftsman. Now, that’s a matchup that could’ve had sparks flying—imagine the kind of lessons, the gritty insights Crosby could’ve snagged from a future Hall of Famer. Instead, he’s left to kick off the season ironing out the kinks on the fly, under the glaring lights and pressure of real games. It makes you wonder—can raw talent sharpen without the fire of its fiercest adversary? The Raiders face a brutal test early on, and whether Crosby’s ready might just tip the scales of their entire campaign.

The Las Vegas Raiders just wrapped up their joint practices against the San Francisco 49ers and are gearing up to face them in a preseason game.

These joint practices allow players an opportunity to see different looks in practice, facing off against different competition than they see daily.

Some joint practices in past years have gotten hairy, and fights have broken out, but things have stayed mellow this season, for the most part.

It seems like all went well between the Raiders and 49ers this season, but DE Maxx Crosby did mention something he wished he had been able to do in a recent press conference.

“Unfortunately I didn’t get to go against Trent. He’s somebody I respect at the highest level. He’s 37 years old. Dude’s gonna be a Hall of Famer. Those are the type of guys I try to learn as much as I possibly can from. He’s got so much knowledge about the game. He’s a good dude and a legitimate competitor,” Crosby said of Williams.

Maxx Crosby on his respect for Trent Williams following the 49ers and Raiders scrimmage:

“Unfortunately I didn’t get to go against Trent. He’s somebody I respect at the highest level. He’s 37 years old. Dude’s gonna be a Hall of Famer. Those are the type of guys I try to learn… pic.twitter.com/dkz3dIfL4a

— Coach Yac (@Coach_Yac) August 14, 2025

Crosby mentioned wanting to face off against Trent Williams, who has been one of the best offensive linemen in football since he came into the league.

Getting reps against Williams could have greatly benefited Crosby ahead of the season, but it wasn’t in the cards for him this year.

Instead, Crosby will potentially have to work out any kinks and jitters in the first few weeks of the season, hoping to inspire his Raider teammates to have a better season than they had in recent history.

They’ll certainly have some tough tests to start the year, as they play the New England Patriots in Week 1, followed by the Washington Commanders and Los Angeles Chargers.

If Crosby and his teammates get out to a slow start against these strong rosters, they could find themselves in a tough hole and deficit for the rest of the season.

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