The heated rivalry between Patrick Mahomes and Maxx Crosby is pretty well known. As standout stars in one of the NFL’s oldest division battles, they clash twice a year, and it’s always a show. But despite the intensity on the field, the two stars have a deep mutual respect, too.
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Crosby has been known to somewhat own Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs ever since the two started matching up. He’s sacked the quarterback an NFL-leading six times, more than anyone else. But it’s never translated into more wins, as Mahomes holds a 12-2 career record against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Recently, Mahomes heaped praise on his archrival during an interview with Kay Adams, calling Crosby the best pass rusher he’s ever faced.
“I think he’s sacked me the most out of anyone I’ve ever played against. To me, he’s the best pass rusher that I’ve ever played against. No offense to any other pass rusher,” Mahomes said on Up & Adams.
It does come as a surprise when we see a player acknowledge and commend his rival. But Mahomes has always been smart and level-headed. Maybe he knows that if he’s nice now, Crosby might be a little more lenient on the field, something Tom Brady, admittedly, used to do.
And who knows, Crosby might want to join Mahomes’ side someday. That’s probably why the Chiefs’ star also said that Crosby is a player he’d prefer to have on his side.
“Obviously, he’s on the other team, so you want to go out there and beat him. But that’s the guys you want on your team. The guys that are going to leave it all out there, no matter what the score is, and be the best they can possibly be every snap,” said Mahomes.
“To me, he’s the best pass rusher I’ve played against”
Patrick Mahomes with the highest praise for Maxx Crosby @heykayadams | @PatrickMahomes @CrosbyMaxx pic.twitter.com/Ksw8hFKL9A
— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) July 7, 2025
It’s definitely not a partnership that we will be seeing anytime soon. Crosby just signed a massive three-year contract extension with the Silver and Black. But maybe in the distant future, when the two are on the backends of their careers, we’ll see the rivals become teammates.
Crosby also recently gave similar praise to Mahomes. “It’s ultimate respect when it comes to them [the Chiefs]. They’ve earned it. They’ve won three Super Bowls, [and] they’ve got the best quarterback in football,” the defensive end told ESPN.
It’s maybe not the type of rivalry that older fans would understand. Modern-day rivals are much more respectful. Still, they only play nice for the cameras. And they promptly go right back to trash-talking on the field.
Mahomes and Crosby have both said they exchange plenty of words during game time. But as we can see, neither will say anything bad about the other to the media. They know they’re two of the best, and they treat each other like it. It’s clearly a professional rivalry.
