aaron donald
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Former Los Angeles Rams DT Aaron Donald.
The Las Vegas Raiders have been in the news again after the unexpected decision by the Baltimore Ravens to back out of the Maxx Crosby trade. It’s not the first time a team has backed out of a trade due to a player failing a physical, but this is arguably the most high-profile time it has happened.
Considering this situation has been one of the biggest news stories of the NFL offseason, many current and former players have opinions on the matter. Former Los Angeles Rams star and three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald doesn’t think the Raiders and Crosby can come back from this situation.
“For me, it would be a little awkward,” Donald said on “The Inner Circle” podcast. “You move on, then you go back. … We made the trade, it fell through, it didn’t fall through and now I’m back in your household again. For me, I would feel uncomfortable. Now I don’t know how I’d feel like. Would I wanna be there? Would I wanna stay there? I’d kind of be more trying to figure something else, try to go elsewhere. That’s just me. I don’t know how Maxx feels, but personally, I don’t know if I’d be comfortable in that building.”
Crosby Claims to Want to Be a Raider Again
In a lot of situations, Donald’s logic makes sense. However, not every team has as much love for a franchise as Crosby does with the Raiders. Though he did request a trade, he made it clear after the trade news broke that he wanted to return and retire as a member of the franchise.
Since the trade fell through, Crosby seemingly accepted that he’s simply meant to be a Raider.
“No one will ever admit what the real truth is. Ultimately, it doesn’t matter. I am where I’m supposed to be,” Crosby said on “The Rush.”
Tom Brady Dodges Crosby Question
The Raiders have remained quiet on the failed trade. Minority owner Tom Brady was the first member of the team’s leadership to have to face questions about the Crosby trade situation.
He decided to avoid answering the question directly when he was asked about it.
“You know, I love being involved in the NFL,” Brady said, via Pro Football Talk. “Like I said, I love football. I love sports. You know, I was very fortunate in my career to be around amazing people and mentors like Robert Kraft, as an owner of a team, and now getting to work with Mark Davis in the role that I’m at, and to see kind of a different team shape, the way that things are done and how we’re evolving and growing, and, you know, we certainly have a long ways to go.
“And, you know, it’s — what I learned about football in 23 seasons is, it’s a tremendous amount of resilience, adversity, discipline, determination, communication, of an entire organization to see, really the value in committing to one another. So, you know, it’s always, I think, process over outcomes, and I think we’re all trying — and all of us in our own role that we have, and the role that we have, and whether it’s an ownership role or a personnel department or strength and conditioning and athletic training and obviously players and positions and offense, defense — everyone’s got to come together. Everyone has to work incredibly hard for the people next to them.”