Ravens back out of Maxx Crosby trade after agreeing to send two first-round picks to Raiders

Baltimore is backing out of its blockbuster agreement to acquire Crosby from Vegas

By Jordan Dajani

Just four days after the Las Vegas Raiders agreed to trade star pass rusher Maxx Crosby to the Baltimore Ravens in exchange for two first-round picks, Baltimore has changed its mind.

The Ravens are backing out of their deal to acquire Crosby from the Raiders, CBS Sports NFL insider Jonathan Jones reported on Tuesday evening. The Raiders confirmed this report shortly after on social media.

The Ravens are allowed to do this because the new league year begins Wednesday, March 11 at 4 p.m. ET. No transactions — whether signings or trades — can become official until then. All trades are also pending a physical, and NFL Media reports that Baltimore backed out because of a medical reason.

Crosby underwent surgery on the meniscus in his left knee on Jan. 8. NFL.com points out that this was a meniscus repair, not a meniscus trim, which requires a longer recovery timetable. Ian Rapoport reports that Baltimore did not want to invest two first-round picks given what the Ravens’ medical experts found during Crosby’s examination.

This is a fascinating development for a number of reasons. Crosby was shut down by the Raiders with two games remaining in the 2025 regular season due to his knee injury, and it was a decision he “vehemently” disagreed with, according to Fox. This was something that upset Crosby so much, that NFL Media reported it would cause him to evaluate his future with the franchise. Crosby never came out and said he wanted a trade, but there was intense speculation that he wanted out.

When the Raiders shut down Crosby in December, the franchise published a statement which claimed multiple medical professionals recommended the five-time Pro Bowler be sidelined:

“We have made the decision to place Maxx Crosby on the Reserve/Injured list for the remainder of the 2025 season. After deliberate and thorough consultation with multiple top medical professionals, it became clear that this decision is in the best interest of both the franchise and the player. Maxx is the ultimate warrior, and he has fought extremely hard to compete each week with his teammates since injuring his knee mid-season.”

Crosby was expected to need months to recover from his knee surgery. That was obviously understood by the Ravens medical staff. But whatever they found during this physical exam worried them enough to pull out of a blockbuster deal.

This remarkable development has massive ramifications — for more than just one team or one player. Let’s take a look at what all of it means.

Speculation runs rampant

If you think this whole situation is fishy, you are not alone. Is it possible Baltimore had second thoughts about the deal, and used this failed physical as an out? One general manager told NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero, “This is very much bullshit on Baltimore’s part.”

Just look at the Raiders’ short statement of: “The Baltimore Ravens have backed out of our trade agreement for Maxx Crosby. We will have no further comment at this time.” The front office may be seething with rage.

What this means for the Ravens

Maybe the Ravens should be commended for making this tough decision. They found something worrisome during Crosby’s physical, and backed out of the agreement knowing it would set the NFL world ablaze and force the front office to go back to the drawing board when it comes to free agency. Again, maybe that’s the case.

Baltimore has lost much more than it has acquired in the last two days. Safety Alohi Gilman is now with the Kansas City Chiefs, pass rusher Dre’Mont Jones agreed to sign with the New England Patriots, tight end Isaiah Likely followed John Harbaugh to the New York Giants, and then there was of course the loss of center Tyler Linderbaum, who agreed to a mammoth three-year, $81 million deal with the Raiders that will make him the highest-paid center in NFL history. At $27 million per year, it’s $9 million more than the next highest-paid center! Now that Crosby isn’t coming to town, Baltimore won’t have to take on the three-year, $106.5 million extension Crosby signed just last offseason. The Ravens have more funds to work with.

Just because Baltimore has more money now does not mean the Ravens will now go crazy in free agency. Remember, there’s a looming Lamar Jackson extension that has to be taken care of. Still, the Ravens have a clear need at pass rusher, which leads us to our next point …

How this affects Trey Hendrickson

Cincinnati Bengals star pass rusher Trey Hendrickson remains unsigned through the NFL’s two-day negotiation period despite being one of the top available free agents. CBS Sports NFL Insider Jonathan Jones reported Tuesday that there’s a gap of about $10 million per year between the contract Hendrickson wants and what NFL teams are willing to pay him. He is now 31-years-old and missed 10 games last year due to injury, but a new potential suitor in the Ravens have emerged.

Hendrickson registered back-to-back 17.5-sack seasons in 2023 and 2024, and is one of the top quarterback-terrors in the league. Could the Ravens sign Hendrickson and keep him in the AFC North, where he could terrorize his former team and Joe Burrow twice a year? That sounds like a good match. Of course, Hendrickson would have to pass a physical after undergoing core muscle surgery a few months ago.

Has something like this happened before?

Oh yes it has. Back in 2018, ESPN points out that Baltimore voided a four-year, $29 million contract it had on the table for wide receiver Ryan Grant after he failed a physical due to an ankle injury. The Ravens also backed out of a deal with safety Brock Marion in 1997 because an issue with his shoulder was discovered.

Reported trades and signings are always taken as fact, but everything is contingent on a team’s medical staff getting their hands on the player.