Maxx Crosby and Kirk Cousins engaged in an altercation during the Las Vegas Raiders’ training camp practice on Friday. Both players exchanged words before they were ultimately separated. 

The altercation began when Cousins took exception to Crosby hitting him on the arm twice during the team period. After the second hit, Cousins confronted Crosby and grabbed his jersey. The two players then exchanged words before being separated. 

Crosby said prior to training camp that he had been warned by the team’s new coaching staff about touching the quarterback during practice. He acknowledged at the time that his aggressiveness once led to his removal from practice during his time at Eastern Michigan. 

“When you get out there and bullets are flying, I’m not thinking about not finishing the play,” Crosby said prior to the start of camp, via ESPN. “That’s just not in my nature. That’s something I’ve been dealing with my whole career. It’s not easy.”  

Friday’s altercation was downplayed by Raiders coach Klint Kubiak.

“Those are two leaders on our team going at it,” he said. “Obviously, fighting in a game [or] you throw a punch in a game, you are out of the game. So we got to be smart.”  

While Crosby’s aggressive nature is well-documented, Cousins’ actions on Friday were an insight into his competitive spirit. It may also serve as a rallying cry for a Raiders offense that was pushed around far too often in 2025. 

“You want him to defend your team,” tight end Michael Mayer said of Cousins. “He’s always had [that edge] since the first day I met him when he came in here.”

The Crosby-Cousins scuffle was one of two altercations that took place during Friday’s practice. And while fighting during practice isn’t always a good thing, it might be for a once proud franchise that is looking to turn things around. 

“It’s energy, man,” Mayer said. “We don’t want to be throwing punches, but I think on any padded day of camp there’s going to be some [scuffles].”