Lamar Jackson Baltimore Ravens Maxx Crosby Las Vegas Raiders
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Quarterback Lamar Jackson #8 of the Baltimore Ravens is pressured by defensive end Maxx Crosby #98 of the Las Vegas Raiders
Just when you thought the Maxx Crosby/Ravens situation was over, new details have been revealed on the Baltimore Ravens‘ side of things.
The Ravens offered two first round picks to acquire Crosby from the Las Vegas Raiders. According to multiple reports, Maxx Crosby did not pass his physical in Baltimore which led the Ravens to back out of the trade.
ESPN’s Ryan McFadden revealed in-depth details about how the trade fell apart.
“In addition to their own doctors, the Ravens had a handful of doctors outside the organization weigh in on Crosby’s knee, including Dan Cooper, a renowned knee specialist and the Cowboys’ team doctor,” McFadden wrote.
Crosby’s Knee Was an Issue Before Trade Happened
Maxx Crosby underwent meniscus repair surgery on January 7.
“Crosby’s knee was a concern that was discussed between the Ravens and Raiders before the trade, according to league sources. Crosby was more than a month removed from knee surgery and began walking without crutches on Feb. 27.” McFadden wrote.
Nonetheless, the Baltimore Ravens made the trade for Crosby on March 6. On March 9, Crosby said on his podcast that he was flown to Washington, D.C. and then driven to Baltimore excited about his fresh start.
The Ravens’ main concern about Crosby centered around his durability after his surgery in January. Crosby said on his podcast that he underwent a physical and an MRI on March 10th.
“The Ravens’ concern centered on the uncertainty of Crosby’s durability after a couple of seasons in Baltimore because of a degenerative issue in his knee, a source told ESPN.” McFadden wrote.
McFadden added that sources close to the Raiders explained the Ravens had a lot of information about Crosby’s knee and made the trade anyway.
“Multiple sources with direct knowledge of the situation believed the Raiders and Crosby’s representatives were transparent about the injury throughout the trade process and that Baltimore had done extensive research on Crosby’s recovery and timeline during that time.” McFadden wrote.
Ravens Get Two First Rounders Back After Backing Out
The Baltimore Ravens had not traded a first round pick in their 31-year history until they made the trade for Crosby. This move made sense due to the Ravens’ inability to get after the quarterback in 2025. With the NFL draft coming up, Baltimore could buffer their pass rush even more now that they have their first-round picks back in 2026 and 2027.
“Baltimore ranked 28th in pass rush win rate (29.9%) and 30th in sacks (30). Baltimore GM Eric DeCosta said he believed Crosby, one of the league’s most decorated edge rushers, ‘was born to be a Raven’ and would be an immediate fix to a glaring problem on defense.” McFadden wrote.
Maxx Crosby is a five-time Pro Bowler and a 2-time second team All-Pro. He has established himself as one of the best run-stuffers in the NFL. The former All-Pro recorded 10 sacks last year.
Furthermore, Maxx Crosby will remain a Raider. Crosby signed a three-year, $106.5 million contract extension in 2025 with the Las Vegas Raiders before all of this trade chaos happened/
On the Ravens’ side of things, they still received a game-changing pass rusher in Trey Hendrickson. Hendrickson led the league in sacks for the Cincinnati Bengals in 2024.