The past week in the NFL has been chaotic, to say the least, with free agency opening and countless signings and trades taking place. Among the most shocking was the Raiders sending five-time Pro Bowler Maxx Crosby to the Ravens for two first-round draft picks, a move the team had long suggested would not happen this offseason.
But since nothing is ever off limits in the NFL, it did happen for a price Las Vegas couldn't refuse.
The trade then set alarm bells off for other pass-rusher-needy teams across the league, including the Patriots, especially those who had inquired about Crosby. That led many to sign the best remaining talent they could, but somehow, Trey Hendrickson remained available.
Things then took a dramatic turn when the Ravens unexpectedly backed out of their agreement with Crosby, and, ironically, NFL insiders reported just minutes before Hendrickson would announce the team he was signing with the following morning.
It was a dramatic turn that looks fishier by the hour, especially after hearing general manager Eric DeCosta speak to the media on Wednesday afternoon, and Patriots fans, in particular, are frustrated over the handling of the controversial situation, rightfully so.
The ongoing saga between the Raiders and Ravens is being ignored by the NFL, but....if it were the Patriots?
Longtime Barstool Sports writer Jerry Thornton echoed that sentiment amongst Patriots Nation on Wednesday morning, just minutes after the Hendrickson signing was announced.
The timing was all too coincidental to believe that the Ravens backed out solely because of Crosby's alleged failed physical, rather than getting cold feet and preferring to sign a player to the same deal without giving up the draft capital.
Thornton pointed out that had the Patriots pulled that stunt, the league would've immediately launched an investigation and likely punished them by docking a draft pick, yet they're mysteriously silent about the current situation with the Ravens.
Where's the lie?
If the Patriots had pulled this BS, they'd be getting their first round draft pick taken away. https://t.co/THiDhottit
— Jerry Thornton (@jerrythornton) March 11, 2026
According to multiple NFL insiders, the feeling around the league among general managers and team owners is that the story the Ravens are sharing isn't adding up, and it looks more like a case of deciding they didn't want to forfeit two first-rounders rather than somehow seeing something on Crosby's physical that they hadn't known prior.
Although that's certainly possible, it doesn't make much sense, and at the very least, it seems more than fair for the NFL to look into what really happened.
But this isn't a league known for impartiality or forthcoming with the truth, so it's not entirely shocking that they haven't even released a statement about it yet.
Instead, Patriots fans are rightfully frustrated because it's clear how inconsistently Roger Goodell and the league's higher-ups treat teams, and this would have been handled drastically differently had the Patriots been one of the teams involved.
It's another example of just how it can be difficult to take the league seriously, especially as a New England fan.