LAS Vegas Raiders defender Maxx Crosby has been forced to change his sobriety-inspired facemask by the NFL.
The defensive end has worn a facemask with a triangle in the center representing a symbol of his sobriety - but now that's all set to change.
On Sunday against the New England Patriots, Crosby took the field without his usual triangle facemask, saying on his podcast, The Rush with Maxx Crosby, that he was told to switch his attire.
"They made me take my facemask off," Crosby said.
"They sent me a nice email saying it has to go."
Crosby's one-of-a-kind triangle facemask represents much more to him than just a helmet, as he's openly spoken about his troubles with alcoholism in the past.
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"The triangle to me represents sobriety," Crosby explained.
"It’s everything. It’s why I’m here. It's why I'm doing this podcast with y'all. It’s why I got a beautiful daughter, a family, great circle of people.
"It literally is everything. If I didn’t make that decision to clean my life up, get in AA and the 12 steps, I wouldn’t be here. So that's literally what it comes down to."
Crosby, a star defender who inked a four-year $94 million contract in 2022, is pointing fingers at NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.
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Goodell just signed an extension, tying him as commissioner of the NFL for the next three seasons.
"I love the National Football League, everything we represent," Crosby said.
"But Roger Goodell, we've got to get on a call. We've got to FaceTime. I want to talk to you, sit down man to man. Because they made me take my facemask off."
Crosby is following up his stellar 2022 season with another phenomenal year, racking up 5.5 sacks, tied for seventh in the league.
The two-time Pro Bowler has helped command the Raiders to a 3-3 record through the first third of the season.
Despite the unfortunate news, Crosby vows this won't be the end.
"I was upset about it but we're going to work on it," Crosby said.
"We're going to figure that out because we need that triangle back."
