Maxx Crosby detailed what went down through his eyes as he went from on the verge of being a Raven to being all-in on being a member of the Raiders after the chaotic turn of events that saw Baltimore back out of a deal to acquire the star edge rusher.
The blockbuster deal that was supposed to send Crosby to the Ravens and the ensuing fallout after the trade fell apart made waves last week, and on the first episode of “The Rush with Maxx Crosby,” he addressed from his vantage point how it all happened.
“I’ve gone through some s–t in my life, I can’t lie, but that whole situation was probably one of the most unique, crazy, wild, up-and-down roller coasters I’ve ever been a part of,” he said on the show released Tuesday.
Crosby, 28, flew into Washington, D.C. last Monday before driving another two hours to Baltimore from there and then reported to the Ravens facility on March 10 for his physical.
The five-time Pro Bowler underwent surgery in January to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee, but it wasn’t expected to impact his 2026 season.
Crosby did not meet with Ravens head coach Jesse Minter until his physical was completed, and he never met with general manager Eric DeCosta, adding that he even had asked, “Where’s Eric?”
“You know what I mean? He just made the trade. I didn’t see him for five hours,” he said.
The odd feeling continued for Crosby when he finally met with Minter.
Crosby said “the energy was off,” and when he dapped up Minter, the Ravens coach “had a blank face.”
“I’m like, ‘OK.’ I’m not thinking anything of it. Maybe he’s just different. I don’t know him, whatever,” Crosby said.
That’s when, Crosby said, the Ravens broke the news that one of the team’s doctors had “concerns” about the results of his physical and “some of them are concerned about the future.”
He was told that the team would get more opinions and get back to him with their decision, which terrified the football star.
Crosby went back to his hotel and got on the phone with agent CJ Laboy and surgeon Neal ElAttrache, who had performed the surgery.
“[ElAttrache] calmed me way down. He’s like Maxx, don’t listen to any of that s–t,” Crosby said. “He’s like, ‘Your knee is great. You’re exactly where you’re supposed to be or even ahead of schedule.’ He’s like, ‘You’re doing everything right. They know you had your surgery nine weeks ago.’
“He’s showing me the actual literal literature of, like, ‘This is where the knee is supposed to be at from a meniscus repair. MRIs could be misleading because it’s still fresh in surgery and this and that.’ He’s like, ‘Listen, you’re doing everything right. Everything’s going well. We’re going to keep sticking to the plan.’ He’s like, ‘You will be back by training camp.’”
Crosby said that while he was waiting for the Ravens to make a decision, he received a call from a team employee who had told him that Vegas and Baltimore were trying to work out the deal.
Minutes after that, Laboy called Crosby to let him know the Ravens had backed out.
“I’m frozen. I’m like, ‘What the f–k,” Crosby said. “I’m f–king livid, confused, the whole nine all in one. And so I told [LaBoy], ‘I’m trying to get out of here.’”
Crosby flew back to Vegas that night and in the wake of the chaos, came to a realization.
The whole ordeal has reaffirmed his commitment to the Raiders.
And that was abundantly clear on Tuesday’s podcast.
“I wasn’t supposed to be in Baltimore and that’s it. You know what I mean? I’m meant to be a Raider. It’s through my damn core. That’s it,” he said. “I’m in this s–t for life. Until that changes — which I don’t foresee. Honestly, you never know in this damn league. I found that out for sure. I just feel like I’m meant to be a Raider.”
