Maxx Crosby #98 of the Las Vegas Raiders walks out of the tunnel before the game against the Dallas Cowboys at Allegiant Stadium.
Getty
Maxx Crosby #98 of the Las Vegas Raiders walks out of the tunnel before the game against the Dallas Cowboys at Allegiant Stadium.
The Dallas Cowboys are the team that was most involved, over the course of the entire Maxx Crosby saga, in trying to make a trade with the Ravens for the star pass-rusher. Baltimore entered the fray late in the process, offered the two first-round picks the Raiders were seeking, and came away with the prized player. Until Tuesday night, at least.
That’s when the Ravens backed out of the trade for Crosby, who had knee surgery to repair his meniscus in the offseason. Baltimore apparently did not like the medicals on Crosby and rescinded the blockbuster trade, sending the entire NFL scrambling for answers and trying to understand the ramifications of the decision.
One of those ramifications was the possibility of a re-trade of Crosby, perhaps for less compensation, and NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero raised eyebrows by saying the Cowboys were “still interested” in such a deal. But other league insiders, including The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, slammed that door shut and noted the Cowboys would not be pursing a Crosby 2.0 trade.
Cowboys Doctor ‘Reviewed the Images’ on Maxx Crosby’s Knee
At ESPN, insider Adam Schefter may have helped reveal why. The Cowboys’ team doctor, Dr. Dan Cooper, is widely respected around the NFL and was one of the doctors who had a look at what was going on with Crosby.
Here’s what Schefter said on the network on late Tuesday/early Wednesday (video via 105.3 The Fan’s Shan Shariff on Twitter/X): “The Baltimore Ravens ultimately failed him on their physical. And my understanding is that there were multiple doctors that reviewed his MRI scans, there were doctors that examined him—including Dr. Daniel Cooper, the Dallas Cowboys doctor, who has performed surgery on Patrick Mahomes and Malik Davis.
“Many teams and players rely on Dr. Cooper’s expertise. And Dr. Cooper was one of the doctors that reviewed the images where the Ravens then felt compelled to back out of this trade.”
Dak Prescott #4 of the Dallas Cowboys has his hand examined by team surgeon Dr. Dan Cooper.
GettyDak Prescott #4 of the Dallas Cowboys talks with team surgeon Dr. Dan Cooper (hat).
Cowboys Won’t Back Out of Rashan Gary Trade
It’s impossible to say, of course, whether the Cowboys would have also failed Crosby in their physical–Dr. Cooper reviewed Crosby’s scans but given the fact that Crosby was coming off surgery, there was always going to be some level of concern about the state of his knee.
The fact that the Cowboys are not trying to undo some of the transactions they’ve made in recent days, most notably the trade for Packers edge rusher Rashan Gary, does indicate that there must be some level of concern for Crosby’s durability going forward.
Maxx Crosby ‘Attacking His Rehab’
Also of note is that the Cowboys’ Dr. Cooper did not perform the surgery on Crosby. The surgeon who did, Dr. Neal ElAttrache, is one of the most respected figures in all of sports. He released as statement to ESPN that acknowledged the difficulty of the Ravens decision but also said that Crosby’s rehab is on track for him to play again in 2026.
But it won’t be for the Ravens. Or the Cowboys.
He said: “We truly respect the work of the Ravens staff with Maxx regarding the contract physical exam. We also understand the challenge the staff faces when tasked to provide a future risk assessment based on an evaluation early in the recovery process. … The timing of this assessment is unfortunate because the apparent risk will lessen as his recovery progresses and his return to performance over the next few months becomes clear.
“At this point, Max is doing an excellent job attacking his rehab and his knee is responding very well. We look forward to Maxx returning to his elite level of performance this season as planned and for several more to come.”