The San Francisco 49ers will hold two joint practices this summer as part of their preseason schedule. The first will be in Santa Clara, where they'll host the Denver Broncos ahead of their preseason opener. There's no real rivalry between the two teams.
The second will be in Henderson, Nevada, with the Las Vegas Raiders, leading into their second exhibition game. There is some history between these organizations.
When the 49ers and Raiders shared the Bay Area, their rivalry was fierce. Even preseason matchups often saw heightened emotions, with tensions spilling over into the stands. That same intensity could resurface during this year's joint practices, especially with one Raiders star already expecting fireworks.
Maxx Crosby's prediction
Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby recently admitted on his podcast that he's anticipating fights when the Raiders and 49ers meet on the practice field.
"The fights, bro. I have a 100% fight rate at joint practices, and I'm looking forward to continuing that trend," Crosby said, per Tristi Rodriguez of NBC Sports Bay Area. "I just know it's going to happen, and I'm not going to try to cause some issues or whatever, I just know eventually it's going to happen. And I'm here for it. It's going to be so much fun. Joint practices is a staple, bro. You need to. It's just a part of the NFL culture.
"When that week comes, the videos start to leak, you see all the competition, that's when you know you're getting closer and closer. The preseason is one thing, but I don't really get to play in the preseason. Those joint practices are game days in camp. And it's lit. It's a lot of bragging rights. It's the purest form of you put the ball down and f--king getting to work and going to war."
Crosby added, "I freaking love joint practices. I'm looking forward to it."
A heated matchup on the horizon
The 49ers and Raiders last held joint practices in 2023, also in the Las Vegas area, and those sessions delivered their share of intensity. Crosby made it clear that he's hyped to go up against the 49ers' elite roster and coaching staff.
"You're like, 'Yeah, motherf--ker's, I'm coming. We're not playing y'all, but I'm 'bout to put on a show this year,'" Crosby said. "And it's dope. You're going up against the Niners. [Kyle] Shanahan. [Kris] Kocurek. You got some of the best coaches in the league over there and some of the best players.
"You got [Nick] Bosa, Trent Williams, who I'll be able to go against, Christian McCaffery, Brock Purdy, a bunch of good ass players. So I definitely look forward to the challenge."
The 49ers and Raiders will face off in their preseason matchup on Saturday, August 16, at Allegiant Stadium, but the action may start well before kickoff.