Michael Lombardi created quite the firestorm last week when he suggested that Maxx Crosby’s absence from the Las Vegas Raiders’ sideline signaled internal turmoil for the franchise.
And after Lombardi’s comment resulted in the Pro Bowl pass-rusher calling out “clowns” on The Pat McAfee Show, the former NFL executive is now apologizing.
“I knew we’d get to that subject immediately, it took you no time at all,” Lombardi told McAfee during his weekly appearance on the program on Thursday, after the former All-Pro punter introduced him as “a guy who’s on the wrong side of Maxx Crosby.”
“Had to,” McAfee replied.
“Let me address the elephant in the room: he’s right, I was wrong,” Lombardi continued. “I thought he had a hamstring injury and he’s right to call me out because I was wrong. Just like I call people out that I think are wrong. And so I was wrong on that, I thought he had a hamstring, he had a high-ankle. He didn’t deserve to be on the sideline.
“If you’re going to criticize people and you’re right, you only have validity if you admit when you’re wrong. That’s what I do. You comment on football. I don’t say everything’s great. I criticize, I make an opinion. But when I’m wrong, I’ve got no problem standing up to it, Pat.”
“Let me address the elephant in the room..
Maxx Crosby is right and I was wrong..
I thought he had a hamstring injury and he’s right to call me out because I was wrong”@mlombardiNFL #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/qcLQZBYU5m
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) October 10, 2024
Lombardi’s offending comment came as he discussed the state of the Raiders’ franchise following Davante Adams’ trade request. While doing so, he made note of Crosby not being on the sideline for what was the first missed game of his NFL career, pointing to it as evidence of further dysfunction in Las Vegas.
“Maxx Crosby didn’t go to the game Sunday with a hamstring. That, to me, bothers me,” Lombardi said last week. “That tells me something’s going on in that locker room… there seems to be a disconnect here, but there seems to be more than one disconnect. Because I think Crosby has always been the team guy. But when he doesn’t show up to a game that tells me something without knowing something.”
Following the Raiders’ 34-18 loss to the Denver Broncos on Sunday, Crosby responded with a not-so-subtle shot at the former Cleveland Browns’ general manager.
“When you got clowns that are online and talking on — they got their one day of the week where they get to go on The Pat McAfee Show and talk. Talking about what we should do and you haven’t even been a GM — you were a GM for one year. So it’s embarrassing,” the Eastern Michigan product said. “Don’t speak for me. I’m going to speak for my guys and that’s all I care about. So I get bothered by that.”
As Lombardi alluded to, his biggest error was mistaking Crosby’s injury, which he likely did as a result of Adams reportedly dealing with a hamstring. Had the 27-year-old not been on Las Vegas sideline with a hamstring injury, that might have been one thing. But in dealing a high-ankle sprain, Crosby’s absence from the Raiders’ Week 4 win over the Browns was perfectly understandable.
Ultimately, Lombardi screwed up and Crosby was completely justified in calling him out. Conversely, it’s a credit to Lombardi that he was willing to own up to his mistake, which others in his position may not have done.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.