The Baltimore Ravens won’t be trading for star Las Vegas Raiders DE Maxx Crosby. Per a statement from the Raiders, the Ravens have “backed out of” an agreed upon deal to send Crosby to the Ravens for a pair of first round picks.
Details are unclear but it’s a major development to the NFL offseason cycle. Presumably, the Ravens flagged a medical concern with Crosby that gave them cause to nix the deal. Crosby ended 2025 with a knee injury with the Raiders choosing to shut him down for the final two games, leading to frustration from Crosby.
Crosby previously shared a 12-minute video reacting to the news, thanking the Raiders and their fans for his seven seasons with the team and telling Ravens’ fans his goal was to win a Super Bowl with Baltimore.
Las Vegas and Baltimore agreed to the deal Friday night. NFL trades do not officially process until the new league year beginning Wednesday at 4 PM/EST, meaning the deal hadn’t officially gone through. Now, the deal is retracted. It’s clear the Raiders are putting the blame on the Ravens for this sudden twist.
Pittsburgh was otherwise prepared to face Crosby twice per season in addition to seeing Cleveland Browns DE Myles Garrett for two divisional games. While the Ravens will retain their picks, it’s still welcome news for the Steelers’ offensive line.
Crosby’s future is now unclear. The Raiders could trade him elsewhere. The Dallas Cowboys were in the mix for Crosby but reportedly unwilling to give up the two first-round picks Las Vegas demanded. The Buffalo Bills were close to securing a deal for Crosby but their lower first round pick this season compared to the Ravens gave Baltimore the edge. Presumably, the Bills will be back in the mix. Buffalo hadn’t yet reportedly agreed to any contracts with high-end pass rushers.
Las Vegas spent an NFL-high amount of money in free agency, though no deals for external free agents could be signed until the new league year began, either. The Raiders agreed to contracts with C Tyler Linderbaum, LBs Nakobe Dean and Quay Walker, and a pair of pass rushers in Malcolm Koonce (a re-signing) and Kwity Paye.
It’s unclear if the Raiders will nix any of their own agreements given today’s news, but it’s likely a factor now that the Raiders still have Crosby’s large contracts on the books for the foreseeable future. Keeping deals with Koonce and Paye seems difficult now.
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