Why Raiders' Maxx Crosby playing on doubtful tag isn't out of the question

Mike Moraitis

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Why Raiders' Maxx Crosby playing on doubtful tag isn't out of the question image

When a player draws a doubtful tag in the days leading up to a game, it's extremely rare for said player to suit up on gameday. However, if there's one player who could pull it off, it's Las Vegas Raiders star edge rusher Maxx Crosby.

Crosby revealed after the Week 3 loss to the Carolina Panthers that he was dealing with a high-ankle sprain, something he suffered during the Week 2 win over the Baltimore Ravens.

Fast forward to Friday and head coach Antonio Pierce said Crosby won't play in Week 4 against the Cleveland Browns. But when the official injury report came out later, the door was cracked open ever so slightly for Crosby to play, as he was listed as doubtful despite Pierce's declaration.

Again, playing on a doubtful tag is extremely rare, but Crosby has actually done it before. In Week 12 of last season, Crosby had the designation yet still managed to play against the Kansas City Chiefs and record a sack in 49 snaps.

To show you just how rare playing on the doubtful tag is, nobody had done it since 2020 before Crosby accomplished the feat last season.

The problem for us in the glass-half-full group is that was a very different situation. Granted, things are borderline dire for the Raiders right now, but a Week 4 game with an entire year ahead of the them pales in comparison to a Week 12 contest against a division rival with Las Vegas jockeying for playoff positioning.

The Raiders have enough issues with injuries on defense and chances are they won't risk their best player aggravating his and missing an extended period of time.

That said, don't be completely surprised if Crosby ends up being active on Sunday. If anyone can do it, it's the tough-as-nails star edge rusher in Las Vegas.

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Mike Moraitis

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After cutting his teeth with Bleacher Report, Mike Moraitis has covered the Los Angeles Rams and Tennessee Titans for FanSided, and the Titans and New York Giants for USA TODAY Sports Media Group. On top of his duties with Sporting News, Mike is the managing editor and lead writer for Titans Wire.