The Las Vegas Raiders have been no stranger to controversy in recent years.

In 2021, head coach Jon Gruden resigned after emails surfaced showing him using homophobic, racist and misogynistic language in emails he sent while working as an ESPN analyst.

Gruden was one of the NFL’s highest-paid coaches after signing a 10-year, $100 million contract with the Raiders, according to salary website Spotrac. He first coached the Raiders from 1998 to 2001, then won a Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2002. Gruden was 39 at the time and the youngest coach to win a Super Bowl.

In one post, the former Las Vegas Raiders coach called NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell a “p*ssy” and a “f*ggot,” the Times reported. In another post, he called Michael Sam a “queer” after the player was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in 2014, and Gruden said the league should not have pressured the team’s then-coach into drafting Sam, the Times reported.

Shortly before Gruden’s resignation, first-round draft pick Henry Ruggs was arrested for driving under the influence at 156 mph and crashing into a car, killing 23-year-old Tina Tintor and her dog. The accident happened in November 2021. Prosecutors said Ruggs’ blood-alcohol content was 0.16, twice the legal limit.

The former Alabama star was sentenced to 3-10 years in prison in Las Vegas.

The Las Vegas Raiders attempted to make a fresh start by hiring former Patriots OC Josh McDaniels after the season in which Gruden stepped down, but there was a continuing rift between the head coach and the team’s players.

McDaniels’ first year with the Raiders ended with a 6-11 record and the departure of quarterback Derek Carr.

On September 24, 2023, McDaniels came under heavy criticism for kicking a field goal from an eight-point deficit with just over two minutes remaining, subsequently calling it a two-possession game. McDaniels was fired by the Raiders on October 31, 2023, after a 3–5 start to the season. He finished his tenure with the Raiders with a 9–16 record. ^{After his firing, McDaniels was listed by the NFLPA as the league’s lowest-rated head coach for 2023.}

The Las Vegas Raiders named Antonio Pierce as their interim head coach, and the team immediately began to improve. As the 2023 season drew to a close, the team’s two biggest stars, Maxx Crosby and Davante Adams, essentially gave owner Marc Davis no choice but to name Pierce the team’s full-time head coach beginning in 2024.

There are still many questions surrounding the Raiders heading into the new season, but it appears the issues have been resolved for now.

Las Vegas Raiders star Maxx Crosby supports Donald Trump after assassination attempt

While the constant distractions surrounding the franchise appear to be behind us, some are arguing that the team’s biggest star’s open support for Donald Trump in the upcoming presidential race could be controversial.

A 20-year-old gunman, Thomas Matthew Crooks, opened fire while Trump was speaking at a recent rally in Pennsylvania, wounding the 78-year-old politician and several others and killing Corey Comperatore, a 50-year-old husband and father of two.

Shortly after it became clear that Trump was okay and had avoided the worst-case scenario, Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby took to X/Twitter to make his support for the former president clear.

Crosby shared a photo of himself with Trump, along with a “GOAT” emoji

Crosby has been one of the NFL’s best defenders since entering the league as a fourth-round pick of the Las Vegas Raiders in 2019.

The Eastern Michigan product is a three-time Pro Bowl player and has been selected to the All-Pro second team twice.

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