The Raiders didn't get the result they wanted. Still, Maxx Crosby once again gave the Chiefs plenty to deal with. Kansas City faced another physical battle against one of the NFL's most relentless pass rushers, and afterward, Patrick Mahomes made it clear how much he respects him. 

Both stars returned from offseason knee injuries to meet in Las Vegas with their teams at 3-0. Mahomes finished 15 of 30, but a 55-yard completion to Tyquan Thornton set up the go-ahead touchdown. Crosby shared a sack with Adam Butler, but the Chiefs held on, 30-27. During the post-game presser, Mahomes addressed the media and spoke about Crosby. 

 "He’s going to go hard the entire time; he’s a great player, great competitor," Patrick Mahomes said while addressing the media. "He’s tackling, he’s getting the hits and stuff like that. And I'm going to hop back up, and he helped me back up just like I tried to help him back up if I saw him in that position."

Mahomes didn’t just reflect on what happened between the two stars Sunday during the interview, as reported by Sleeper Chiefs on X; he also hinted at what could be ahead. 

"So a ton of respect there; that’s a good football team, and he’s the leader of them. I’m expecting a lot more battles as my career goes on." 

However, that mutual respect was built well before Sunday's game, and it traces back to the offseason. 

Patrick Mahomes reveals the offseason text he got from Maxx Crosby 

Patrick Mahomes had been recovering from the injury that ended his 2025 season, and Maxx Crosby was rehabbing a knee injury of his own. When Mahomes was cleared to play, Crosby was one of the first to reach out.

During the pregame presser on October 1st, Mahomes revealed that the two players had been texting back and forth during the offseason. 

"He actually texted me right when I got cleared to play, and just kind of said, ‘Hey, we're both back.’ And for me, I was just kind of like, ‘Let's show the world who we are,'" Mahomes said of his interaction with Crosby as reported by NFL. 

Mahomes also acknowledged the competitive edge that comes with facing Crosby, admitting that the intensity is simply part of the game.

"And so, I think that's just the competitors in this league. There is a rivalry; when we step on that field, we're going to go at it. That's just kind of what it is, and we both know that."

Between the text message and the postgame praise, Sunday showed what the Mahomes-Crosby rivalry is built on: two players who compete as hard as they can and appreciate each other for it. 

Written by

Chionia Libania Colaco