In a shocking development, the Ravens won’t be trading for star edge rusher Maxx Crosby after all.
Less than 24 hours before the trade with Las Vegas could become official at the start of the new league year, the Raiders released a statement that Baltimore had “backed out” of the agreement, news that sent shockwaves around the NFL. The 28-year-old Crosby had been in town to complete his physical, but medical concerns prompted the Ravens to walk away from the deal in which they had agreed to send 2026 and 2027 first-round picks to Las Vegas for the five-time Pro Bowl edge rusher.
It was public knowledge that Crosby underwent surgery to have the meniscus repaired in his left knee in early January, but it was initially uncertain whether the organization’s concerns were tied directly — or solely — to his knee. That procedure typically requires a recovery of several months, meaning Crosby would have never been fully cleared at this time in the conventional way a team would examine a player.
Prior to Friday’s agreement, the Ravens had never traded as much as one first-round pick for a player, let alone two, in their 31-year history.
Regardless of how serious the organization’s concerns were about the medical review, the circumstances and optics are less than ideal for all involved parties with the Ravens having lost nine of their unrestricted free agents to other teams and agreed to just one deal with an outside free agent — guard John Simpson — as of Tuesday night. Thinking Crosby’s $30 million base salary for 2026 was coming off their books, the Raiders have been extremely active in free agency with the headliner being a three-year, $81 million agreement with former Ravens center and three-time Pro Bowl selection Tyler Linderbaum. And the results of Baltimore’s physical will only increase scrutiny about Crosby’s health, which could impact whether teams will pursue a trade with the Raiders.
Crosby’s agent, CJ LaBoy, posted on Twitter that the superstar defensive player remains on a path to a full recovery and return to play.
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While this was set to be the most lucrative trade in franchise history, the Ravens aren’t strangers to walking away from agreements because of concerns over a physical. Baltimore backed out of a reported deal with defensive tackle Michael Brockers in 2020, voided an agreement with wide receiver Ryan Grant in 2018, and even had to call off a scheduled press conference at the last minute with free-agent safety Brock Marion in 1997.
Though general manager Eric DeCosta will once again have the 14th overall pick in next month’s draft — as well as next year’s first-rounder — and the salary cap space that would have been devoted to Crosby, it’s difficult to say how the Ravens will proceed with so many free agents at various positions of need already agreeing to terms elsewhere. However, it’s worth noting five-time Pro Bowl edge rusher — and longtime Cincinnati Bengal — Trey Hendrickson remained on the open market as of Tuesday night.
Of course, this stunning turn only reinforces why agreements always carry the caveat of a player passing a physical and deals this time of year don’t become official until the start of the new league year.
