Raiders DE Maxx Crosby on training camp fight with Rams RB Cam Akers: ‘He got what he got’

| American Football | 08/17/2023

By Nick Shook, Around The NFL Writer

An old rivalry resurfaced during joint practices between the Rams and Raiders on Wednesday in Southern California.

Rams running back Cam Akers and Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby got into a fracas when Crosby attempted to punch the ball out of Akers’ hands at the end of a play. Akers didn’t take too kindly to Crosby’s try-hard finish to the rep, and despite a significant size difference — Akers stands at 5-foot-10, while Crosby is a healthy 6-5 — the running back let Crosby know of his displeasure, sparking a skirmish in which punches were thrown between the two.

A melee ensued, with both teams clashing on the field before being separated. Rams coach Sean McVay sent Akers to the showers, while Crosby — having no locker to be sent to, since the visiting Raiders bussed to practice — sat out the rest of the team period of practice on the sideline.

Crosby was anything but contrite when asked about the scuffle afterward.

“S—, I was just doing what I do, and he didn’t like that,” Crosby said. “So, he got what he got. It is what it is.”

As for what exactly Akers “got,” well he seemed to disagree with how Crosby framed the altercation.

The extracurriculars took place after a somewhat sub-standard practice performance by the Raiders to that point.

When asked afterward if Crosby was looking to rev up his teammates, he replied with a grin and said, “I was just doing what I do.”

McVay, meanwhile, took a no-nonsense stance on the matter, explaining he ejected Akers because of his involvement, not because he was necessarily the one to blame.

“I don’t know what happened. If you’re involved in it, we’re just kind of no tolerance,” McVay said. “So, we will look at it. I don’t want to speak too much on it because I’m trying to watch what the spot was and then I see that and we’re trying to get our work in, and that prevents us from getting our work in.”

This isn’t the first time the Rams have engaged in practice brawls with other teams. Last year, Aaron Donald infamously swung his helmet at an opponent during a joint session with the Cincinnati Bengals. And frankly, it’s common in joint practices, no matter the participants.

But if you’re playing for McVay, you better not be at the center of the dust-up — unless you want an early end to the day.

“It is,” McVay answered when asked if that was going to be a rule going forward. “If you do that, you’re out.”

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