Maxx Crosby
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Las Vegas Raiders edge rusher Maxx Crosby.
If you didn’t know already, the blockbuster trade that wasn’t between the Las Vegas Raiders and Baltimore Ravens for NFL All-Pro Maxx Crosby is a story that’s going to have some legs. And we’re not close to getting warmed up yet.
The latest twist in the hours after the shocking news broke that the Ravens were backing out of the trade — and getting back their 2 1st round picks — was that everyone involved understood Crosby’s full medical status before the trade was agreed upon.
Multiple reports indicated it was Crosby’s medical status, and specifically the status of his surgically repaired knee from a torn meniscus that killed the deal.
“One NFL general manager told me everybody involved in Maxx Crosby trade talks knew he would be out until June/July coming off meniscus surgery,” NFL Network reporter Cameron Wolfe wrote on his official X account on Tuesday night. “Consensus opinion I’ve got from NFL decision makers: Ravens got cold feet & it could impact how other teams work w/ BAL going forward.”
If those reports are true — and the Ravens did, in fact, know the full extent of Crosby’s injury and recovery and agreed to the trade only to renege, it could do more than impact how other teams deal with the Ravens. It could very well lead to punishment from the NFL — including possibly stripping the Ravens of draft picks and awarding them to the Raiders if any malfeance is detected.
“The Baltimore Ravens have backed out of our trade agreement for Maxx Crosby,” the Raiders said in a prepared statement. “We will have no further comment at this time.”
“Maxx Crosby did not pass his physical today, per sources,” The Athletic’s Diana Russini wrote on her official X account. “The Ravens get their first round picks back … Don’t expect teams to be lining up immediately to get back into Maxx Crosby trade talks. Some teams I spoke to tonight expect the Raiders to be the ones calling them. It’ll be up to individual teams’ medical staffs to decide on whether to assume the risk of trading for Crosby.”
Historical Trade for Ravens Now Part of NFL Lore
It was the 1st time in the Ravens franchise history that 1st round picks had been given up in a trade. The addition of Crosby, considered one of the NFL’s elite edge rushers, lowered Baltimore’s Super Bowl odds from +1100 to +950 almost overnight.
“Maxx Crosby had surgery to repair his meniscus right around the end of the season, and meniscus recoveries take 3-4 months,” NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport said after the news broke on Tuesday night. ” … it appears the Ravens are just not comfortable with what they found during the medical exams for Maxx Crosby, so now the trade is off.”
The reversal means a chaotic next 24 hours for both teams. After investing an NFL-record $281.5 million in free-agent signings over the last 2 days, the Raiders must decide what they need to do regarding Crosby. Trade him? Keep him?
For the Ravens, it means trying to find an elite edge rusher, which was the key component missing from their defense this offseason, with Baltimore Ravens All-Pro and former NFL sacks leader Trey Hendrickson still available in free agency.