The Las Vegas Raiders will not be departing with superstar EDGE rusher Maxx Crosby after all. The Baltimore Ravens have backed out of trading for Crosby three days after the trade was announced. The original deal would’ve sent two first-round picks to the Raiders, including the No. 14 overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft.
Crosby failed his physical with the Ravens, causing them to back out of the deal before the start of the new league year. With the meniscus injury he suffered at the end of the 2025 season, he could’ve still be suffering lingering effects from that injury.
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More: Ravens pull unprecedented stunt on Raiders in Maxx Crosby agreement
Dec 14, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby (98) on the field after loss to the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
More: Three new trade destinations for Maxx Crosby
Still, it’s a tough pill to swallow for both teams. The Ravens lost a lot of free agents, having yet to make a major impact deal outside of the Crosby one, while the Raiders shelled out over $240 million to free agents with the intention of raising the team floor. This ordeal could be a lose-lose situation for both teams.
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Raiders lose a premium package
The Ravens’ trade offer of the No. 14 pick and a 2027 first-round pick was unexpected because of how rich it was. There are almost no players who retrieve a top 15 pick back for trading them, let alone two first-round picks.
It’s easy to assume the Ravens were acting on some level of desperation. The Ravens were ranked 29th in sacks (30) and 28th in pass-rush win rate (30%). The best pass rusher was Travis Jones, with five sacks. Safe to say, they were desperately looking for a pass rusher like Maxx Crosby, which was why people excused the big return.
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It’s unlikely the Raiders get that high of an offer from another team. The Bears have been linked to Crosby, but they have pick No. 25 in the upcoming draft. The Cowboys and Bengals could be interesting trade partners, but would either one of them trade their top 15 pick plus another pick? Maybe the Cowboys, since they have two picks in the first round, but I doubt it.
Crosby’s failed physical could bring down trade value
The extra wrinkle in this negated trade really stings the Raiders. With Crosby failing his physical, it’s assumed that he’s still dealing with an injury.
In the 2025 season, Crosby was placed on the shelf after 15 games with a meniscus issue, with some reports suggesting he’d get meniscus surgery. In 2024, Crosby was dealing with an ankle injury, and he needed to undergo surgery on December 14th.
Safe to say, Crosby’s injury issues in the past couple of seasons could be a red flag for a team looking to get him. Injury issues have caused talented players to slide in NFL drafts, and that same logic could apply to the Raiders.
Ravens weren’t aggressive enough in free agency
The Ravens might end up being worse off because of the Crosby loss. They were in desperate need of a pass rusher, but with the assumption that they were getting Crosby, they didn’t make many major moves in the first two days of free agency.
Getting offensive lineman John Simpson back from the New York Jets was a wise move, and at three-years, $30 million, it’s not a bad deal. However, the Ravens needed to do more considering how much they lost. All-Pro center Tyler Linderbaum, tight ends Isaiah Likely and Charlie Kolar, EDGE Dre’Mont Jones, and safety Alohi Gilman are among the ones gone from last season’s team.
Baltimore losing trust from the rest of the league
The large hole at edge rusher may not be the only consequence the Ravens suffer. According to Tom Pelissero, a lot of people feel like the Ravens might have been backing out for another reason other than the failed physical.
A consensus around the league is that the Ravens didn’t handle the deal well, and that’s reasonable. People already knew about the meniscus issue and the other injuries. Crosby is a known commodity, and it’s a big trade.
That might cause distrust between the Ravens and other teams, and distrust can cause the Ravens to lose in trades they would’ve won before this deal. That’s the risk of backing out of a deal like this.
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