Maxx Crosby addresses relationship with Antonio Pierce, not attending Week 4 game

On the heels of a former NFL general manager saying he believes Las Vegas Raiders star edge rusher Maxx Crosby and head coach Antonio Pierce have a "disconnect," the Raiders star revealed that his relationship with Pierce is just fine.

Former Cleveland Browns general manager Michael Lombardi speculated last week that there may be problems between Crosby and Pierce after the former didn't attend Las Vegas' Week 4 game after being ruled out with a high-ankle sprain.

"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," Lombardi said on The Pat McAfee Show .

Crosby recently sat down with Eddie Gonzalez of Complex and made it quite clear his relationship with Pierce is just fine.

"It's been dope," Crosby said of his relationship with Pierce. "Me and AP have a great relationship. He's real. Everybody feels that energy. He doesn't play games. It's black and white and that's how you create a great culture and it's player driven. At the end of the day, the coaches, they steer the ship, but the players drive that thing. It's a big difference. And he believes in us. We believe in him, and that's really all we're focused on. It's just finding ways to improve and win.

"It doesn't matter what everybody else has to say, they can say whatever they want, but at the end you're going to know who the real fakers are, who the real ones are, and we're just trying to put our team in a position to have a chance when it really matters. So I think is doing AP great job."

Crosby also addressed the decision to stay at home, saying the team thought it would be in his best interest to do so.

"Bro, I'm not going to lie to you. I was probably the most stressed I've ever been since I've been in the league just sitting there at the crib," Crosby said. "As much as I wanted to be there, and AP wanted me to be there at the game – I'm trying to get back on the field ASAP – they thought it was in my best interest and in the team's best interest for me to rehab and get my feet up and game ready and ice during the game at the crib because I'm a maniac. I'm going to be running up and down the sideline. I can't help myself. So they're like, take your a-- home, stay at home. So I cleared out everybody, nobody was there besides me and my dog at my crib. So I had my man cave and I was locked in screaming at the TV for four hours."

Crosby, who is listed as questionable, is reportedly expected to make his return to the field in Week 5 against the Denver Broncos.