The Baltimore Ravens‘ decision to call off the Maxx Crosby trade not only surprised the NFL world but also upset several people around the league.
We surveyed several people around the league for their thoughts on Tuesday’s news that Crosby was going back to the Las Vegas Raiders (at least for now). The consensus was that the Ravens might have overstepped their boundary by calling the trade-off, even if the star edge rusher failed a physical just a couple of months after undergoing surgery for a meniscus tear.
We also tried to find out what might be next for the Raiders, Ravens and Crosby following Tuesday’s news. Will Las Vegas’ free agency class blow up as a result of the nixed deal? Will the Dallas Cowboys pursue Crosby?
[3 Takeaways From Maxx Crosby Trade Fallout: Where Do the Ravens, Raiders Go From Here?]
Here is what we realized:
***
A number of execs upset with Ravens: ‘You don’t do that’
Ralph Vacchiano: The Raiders’ terse assertion made it clear that they have been indignant with the Ravens for backing out of the Crosby deal.
The remainder of the league sounded fairly indignant with the Ravens, too.
“No matter they noticed [in their medical exam] higher be career-threatening, in any other case you don’t do that,” one NFL government informed me. “They knew one thing was mistaken together with his knee. He simply had surgical procedure to get it fastened. It actually seems like they’d another cause for wanting out of this deal.”
“Look, I don’t know what they noticed, however he had surgical procedure two months in the past,” an NFL assistant basic supervisor informed me. “He wasn’t going to cross a bodily. Did they not learn about his knee? All people else did.
“There’s received to be one thing else right here. All of us knew he most likely wasn’t going to be prepared till coaching camp. It actually appears like they only received scared and appeared for any manner out.”
***
The Ravens needed Crosby ‘desperately’
Eric D. Williams: The Ravens had agreed to cross alongside two first-round picks to the Raiders in return for Crosby, together with the 14th general decide within the 2026 NFL Draft. It marked the primary time Baltimore relinquished a first-round choice for a participant by way of commerce in franchise historical past, so it was actually excited to probably land Crosby in a commerce.
Nonetheless, lower than 24 hours earlier than the commerce might change into official in the beginning of the brand new league yr at 4 p.m. ET on Wednesday, the Ravens had knowledgeable the Raiders they have been now not doing the commerce after Crosby failed his bodily with the crew in Baltimore on Tuesday.
“It should have been an actual critical long-term bodily concern,” a league supply informed me. “The Ravens needed him desperately. They hate this.”
Ravens basic supervisor Eric DeCosta and the remainder of the crew’s entrance workplace are underneath hearth following Tuesday’s information surrounding the Maxx Crosby commerce. (Photograph by Nick Cammett/Diamond Pictures by way of Getty Pictures)
Crosby, 28, continues to be recovering from surgical procedure to restore a full meniscus tear on his left knee carried out by Los Angeles Rams crew doctor Dr. Neal ElAttrache on Jan. 7. Whereas the rehab course of for a meniscus tear sometimes takes 4 to 6 months, Crosby’s agent downplayed issues concerning the harm on Tuesday.
“Maxx continues to be on monitor in his restoration and if something is forward of schedule, based on his surgeon Dr. Neal El Attrache,” Crosby’s agent, CJ LaBoy, wrote on X. “Maxx stays on monitor to return in the course of the offseason program and can undoubtedly return because the dominant recreation wrecker he has been these previous 7 seasons.”
Baltimore has backed out of a lot smaller offers up to now resulting from gamers who had points with medical exams. The Ravens rescinded an settlement with Cowboys security Brock Marion earlier than he signed his deal due to a problem together with his left shoulder in 1997.
Twenty years later, in 2018, the Ravens voided a four-year, $29 million contract with extensive receiver Ryan Grant after he failed a bodily due to an ankle harm.
***Will the Ravens be punished?
Williams: The Ravens’ rescinding the deal has created a conundrum for the Raiders and the remainder of the league.
“Clearly, there are individuals on the market saying they received purchaser’s regret,” a longtime NFL medical evaluator informed me. “Perhaps they appeared on the market, and so they shouldn’t have given up two 1s. That’s an apparent one. And possibly a modification of that’s two No. 1s is just too excessive of a value for a man who has this surgical procedure.”
Crosby and his wage reverting to Las Vegas places the franchise in a troublesome state of affairs after they negotiated contracts on the opening day of the authorized negotiation interval with eight new gamers for a projected $283.75 million in complete compensation that may change into official when the brand new yr begins on Wednesday.
The longtime NFL medical workers conversant in crew physicals stated the problem might have been prevented had the 2 groups agreed to have Crosby evaluated by a Ravens crew physician earlier than the announcement of the commerce.
“[NFL commissioner Roger] Goodell will not be going to research this,” the medical workers member informed me. “The Ravens are legally proper. The GMs can argue they’re morally within the mistaken.
“However what ought to have occurred is once they have been able to consummate a commerce, they need to have stated, ‘Look, everyone knows he had a meniscus restore. You’re saying he’s high-quality and displaying us his medical information. However let’s not have us each have eggs on our faces. Both you will have Maxx fly out right here or will fly our crew physician out to see Maxx, and we’ll simply dot our Is and cross our Ts earlier than we make this announcement of the commerce.’”
***
One agent ‘frightened’ concerning the Raiders
Vacchiano: The Raiders spent some huge cash after they thought they’d cleared Crosby off their books. And it’s believed they nonetheless have sufficient cap house to maintain all of them, even when Crosby is returned.
However will they? And what about heart Tyler Linderbaum, whom they lured from Baltimore with a document, three-year, $81 million contract? With Crosby off their books, will the Ravens all of a sudden discover the cash to up their supply and produce him again?
With nothing official till 4 p.m. on Wednesday, one distinguished NFL agent informed me, “I’d think about each these groups, and each crew that was excited about these gamers, is taking one other have a look at these offers.”
“I’d be frightened,” one other agent informed me. “It’s unlikely [any of them are rescinded], however that is unprecedented. And in case you lose your deal and need to go crawling to different groups three days after the market opened, you’re not going to get near what you bought the primary time.”
The assistant basic supervisor informed me that the troubles have been unfounded, because the Raiders “most likely” had the cap house for everyone and that the Ravens appeared like they have been simply stepping into one other route. He thought the probably situation was the Ravens pivoting to free agent Trey Hendrickson, the most effective obtainable cross rusher remaining in free company.
“That’s what I’d do,” he informed me. “All the opposite good cross rushers are gone. Many of the good gamers are gone, too.”
“The irony is there’s going to be a 3rd crew harm by this,” the NFL government informed me. “Somebody on the market thought they have been about to land Hendrickson, and the Ravens are going to screw them, too. Simply watch.”
***
Do not anticipate the Cowboys to go after Crosby
Vacchiano: As individuals across the league tried to determine the Crosby mess, most have been assuming the Raiders must attempt to commerce him once more. However to whom? And was there any likelihood a cope with the Ravens may very well be revived?
“Positive, something’s attainable,” the NFL government informed me. “However the Ravens simply made it clear that they’re not doing the deal for 2 first-round picks. Would they unexpectedly be much less frightened about Crosby’s knee for only one first-round decide as an alternative? Like I stated, something is feasible.”
Discovering one other suitor may very well be troublesome, too. The Dallas Cowboys have been believed to be the runner-up within the preliminary commerce talks, however they pivoted to a commerce with Inexperienced Bay for Rashan Gary. And a Cowboys supply informed me they have been unlikely to revisit a Crosby deal.
[2026 NFL Free Agency: Predicting Landing Spots for 10 Best Remaining Players]
As for different potential commerce companions, just like the Los Angeles Chargers or Washington Commanders, it most likely is determined by the place Trey Hendrickson indicators.
“He’s within the driver’s seat now,” the manager informed me. “He’s the final pass-rusher on the market and he received’t value any draft picks. At this level, a crew would somewhat overspend on him than attempt to determine what’s occurring with Crosby’s knee.
“However as soon as Hendrickson indicators, the losers for him are going to discover their choices. That’s when the Raiders will see if there’s a market nonetheless there.”
