Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby thought he was beginning a new chapter. Baltimore agreed late last week to send two first-round picks to the Raiders in exchange for the four-time Pro Bowl pass rusher.
Crosby had requested a trade out of Las Vegas earlier this offseason. He flew to Washington, D.C., then drove two hours to Baltimore for his physical.
What followed felt nothing like what a player expects when a trade is essentially done.
For the first five hours inside the Ravens’ facility, Crosby didn’t see general manager Eric DeCosta or first-year head coach Jesse Minter once.
Speaking on his podcast, The Rush with Maxx, Crosby broke down how that day went and what it felt like while the deal unraveled around him.
Crosby Did Hours of Medical Scans Before Meeting Anyone From the Ravens
Sep 28, 2025; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby (98) looks on from the sideline during the first quarter against the Chicago Bears at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
Sep 28, 2025; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby (98) looks on from the sideline during the first quarter against the Chicago Bears at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
Those first five hours were not spent waiting around, Crosby was moved through a battery of tests that included an MRI and scans of his labrum, knees, and ankles.
He had undergone meniscus surgery on his left knee nine weeks earlier, and no one from the front office came by during any of it.
“I didn’t see him for five hours. I don’t know why, I’m not gonna speculate. I even asked the girl, I was like, ‘Where’s Eric [DeCosta] at? He just made the trade,'” Crosby said.
After the tests wrapped, Crosby had to ask to see the coaches. He found DeCosta standing in a hallway.
“I dapped him up. I can just tell the energy was a little bit off. The GM was standing in the hall, and that was the first time I seen him. He had a blank face. I’m not thinking anything of it. Maybe he’s just different,” Crosby said.
NFL reporter Ari Meirov was among the first to share details from the podcast episode on X.
Maxx Crosby says on @TheRushWithMaxx that he didn’t see #Ravens GM Eric DeCosta or HC Jesse Minter during the first 5 hours of his visit, and when he finally met with DeCosta, the energy felt off. DeCosta then informed him they had concerns about his medicals.
“I was thinking in… pic.twitter.com/TLvxOQH9w2
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) March 17, 2026
DeCosta Informed Crosby That Baltimore’s Doctors Had Concerns About His Future
Baltimore Ravens, Eric DeCosta, NFL
Feb 24, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Baltimore Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta speaks at the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
When they finally sat down, DeCosta told Crosby one of the team’s doctors had flagged concerns about his knee and needed more opinions before the trade could proceed.
“Man, I don’t know how to say this, but one of our doctors has concerns with the results, with your knee. Some of them are concerned about the future. We really want you, but we’re just gonna have to get more and more opinions,” Crosby recalled.
Crosby was terrified and called Dr. Neal ElAttrache, the surgeon who had performed the procedure.
“Your knee is great. You’re exactly where you’re supposed to be or even ahead of schedule,” Crosby said ElAttrache told him.
The Ravens backed out of the deal that Tuesday evening. DeCosta addressed the fallout publicly.
“Nobody’s more upset about this than me,” DeCosta said, per CBS Sports. “Gutted by it, actually, a big regret for me.”
Baltimore moved quickly, signing free agent pass rusher Trey Hendrickson to a four-year deal.
Crosby and his wife flew back to Las Vegas that night, where the Raiders had already rebuilt their defense.
That visit to Baltimore is done. What Crosby does on the field in 2026 is now the more compelling question.