The story of the moment continues to make waves throughout the NFL, based on one fundamental question.
Did the Ravens pull a fast one on the Raiders by not proceeding with the Maxx Crosby trade, or was Baltimore simply being prudent?
The surface-level analysis has led to a simple and widespread conclusion: Of course Crosby wasn’t going to pass a physical now, because he had surgery less than two months ago to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee.
Common sense suggests that this was something more than whether he will eventually have a full recovery. The Ravens, and the other doctors with whom they reportedly consulted ([including Dr. Daniel Cooper](https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/report-multiple-doctors-including-daniel-cooper-consulted-with-ravens-on-maxx-crosby)), saw something to create significant doubt as to whether this is a situation in which normal rehab would result in a good-as-new knee.
No, it doesn’t help matters that the Ravens quickly pivoted to sign Trey Hendrickson, roughly 12 hours after the Crosby deal was canceled. It also doesn’t help matters that the Raiders accused the Ravens of “backing out” of the trade, in a statement that [oozed with hostility and resentment](https://x.com/Raiders/status/2031520984357056638?s=20).
In the end, the Ravens had a decision to make. It’s no different than, as we explained during Wednesday’s _PFT Live_, the decision a home buyer must make after signing a contract to buy a house subject to a satisfactory inspection. Some defects can be easily fixed or tolerated. Some will be significant enough to get the buyer to exercise their prerogative to abandon the transaction.
The buyer, in that case, has to ask whether they’re truly getting what they’re purchasing. In this case, whatever the doctors found was enough to get the Ravens to conclude that Crosby’s status is different from the normal, usual rehab after surgery to repair a torn meniscus.
Deals have been scrapped base on failed physicals before, both as to free-agent transactions and as to trades. Usually, the physical happens _after_ the trade has been communicated to the league and announced to the public. In this case, the physical was a condition precedent to the doing of the deal, since the deal couldn’t have been done until 4:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday.
The Raiders shouldn’t be upset about this. Unless, of course, _they_ were hoping to pull a fast one on the Ravens by getting two first-round picks for a player whose knee may be in worse shape than it should be nearly two months after undergoing surgical repair of a torn meniscus.