Training camp fights happen. But when it’s your franchise quarterback and your best defensive player squaring up, people notice. That’s what happened Friday when Kirk Cousins and Maxx Crosby had a bit of a squabble during the Las Vegas Raiders practice.

“Knowing both of these guys… Kirk Cousins would beat the tattoos off of Maxx Crosby,” former Raider Will Compton posted on X.

Compton played with Cousins for four years when they were with the Washington Redskins. Compton also played for the Raiders in 2019 and 2021 seasons, where he built a dynamic with Maxx Crosby.

The whole thing started with Crosby hit Cousins’ arm twice during a team practice on Friday. Cousins let the first hit slide, but after the second hit, he’d clearly had enough. According to the New York Post’s Vincent Bonsignore, the quarterback charged at Crosby, shoved him in the chest, and said some “choice words.” Crosby responded by getting into Cousins’ face.

“The two continued barking at each other until teammates stepped between them and broke things up.”

No punches landed, but Cousins made his point loud and clear. He’s not about to let anyone push him around, not even a guy as intense as Crosby.

If anything, the moment earned Cousins some respect in the locker room. Tight end Michael Mayer was quick to praise his quarterback’s willingness to stand his ground.

“You want him to defend your team,” Mayer said. “He’s always had [that edge] since the first day I met him when he came in here.”

Kirk Cousins has been known to be a little hot-headed on some occasions. In 2018, he and tight end Adam Thielen had a heated exchange on the sidelines during their season-ending loss to the Chicago Bears.

Head coach Klint Kubiak wasn’t fazed by any of it.

“Those are two leaders on our team going at it,” Kubiak said. “Obviously, fighting in a game [or] you throw a punch in a game, you are out of the game. So we got to be smart.”

As for Crosby, this isn’t exactly new territory for him. He’s always played on the edge, sometimes a little too close to it. Before training camp, the star defensive end was instructed not to touch the quarterback in practice. Crosby had also revealed that this intensity dates back to his college days at Eastern Michigan, where his coach had to pull him out of practice more than once for going too hard.

“When you get out there, and bullets are flying, I’m not thinking about not finishing the play. That’s just not in my nature,” Crosby said. “That’s something I’ve been dealing with my whole career. It’s not easy.”

And Cousins and Crosby weren’t even the only ones throwing hands on Friday. Earlier in the session, defensive lineman Jonah Laulu landed a punch on guard Caleb Rogers, adding another layer of chaos to what was already a heated practice.