Maxx Crosby admits Raiders ‘f—ed it all up’ picking Josh McDaniels over interim HC Rich Bisaccia in 2022

In October of 2021, Jon Gruden resigned as the head coach of the Raiders after emails where he used insensitive language leaked. In stepped Rich Bisaccia, who had served as the assistant head coach and special teams coordinator for the team from 2018 to 2020, to be the interim head coach.

His first game as a head coach was on Oct. 17, 2021, and he helped lead the team to a 34-24 win over the Denver Broncos. The Raiders went 7-5 during Bisaccia’s reign, and the team made the playoffs for the first time since 2016.

Basaccia was the first interim head coach to lead his team to the playoffs since Bruce Arians did it with the Indianapolis Colts in 2012.

Despite his success and his players liking him, Bisaccia did not keep the head coaching job. Instead, the Raiders hired Josh McDaniels for the 2022 season, a move some players believe was a mistake. 

Raiders star defensive end Maxx Crosby had strong words about the direction owner Mark Davis decided to go in. Speaking recently on his podcast about the decision to hire McDaniels over Bisaccia, Crosby said (via Vic Tafur), “We f—ed it all up.”

McDaniels’ head coaching career was far from perfect before joining the Raiders. He began his head coaching career with the Broncos in 2009, going 8-8 that season and then starting the 2010 season at 3-9. After that ninth loss, the Broncos fired McDaniels.

His fate in Las Vegas was no different. He went 6-11 in his first season with the Raiders and 3-5 in year two in Sin City before getting the boot. Once again, a McDaniels head coaching stint ended with a firing in his second season with a team.

Just like in 2021, the Raiders found themselves with an interim head coach. And just like in 2021, the Raiders’ players are in favor of keeping their interim coach around. Antonio Pierce took over for McDaniels and went 5-4, landing second in the AFC West.

Crosby is hoping that unlike last time, ownership gives the permanent head coaching job to the interim coach. He may request a trade if Pierce is not chosen.

“I want to be a Raider … but if we go in a different direction, there is nothing that is off the table,” Crosby recently said on his podcast, via The Athletic. 

Pierce kicked off his head coaching career by defeating the New York Giants, the team he played for as a linebacker. He was the linebackers coach for the Raiders beginning in 2022 and up until he took over as head coach.

Whether ownership goes with the players’ pick this time has yet to be decided.