Something isn’t adding up.
Maxx Crosby and the Raiders have expressed doubt about why the Ravens rescinded the trade that would have sent the star pass-rusher to Baltimore, with the franchise citing medical concerns.
According to an ESPN report published Tuesday, several sources with knowledge of the situation questioned whether Crosby’s injury history, punctuated by a knee surgery in January, was truly the root of the deal’s collapse — especially with Baltimore signing Bengals edge rusher Trey Hendrickson just hours after the deal fell apart.
“[The Ravens] had a lot of information at their disposal and still green-lit the trade,” a source told ESPN. “They did enough legwork that should have eliminated some of the concern.”
“No one will ever admit what the real truth is,” said Crosby last week on his podcast, “The Rush.”
Crosby — who inked a three-year, $106.5 million extension with the Raiders last March but remained eager to compete for a championship — was sent to Baltimore on March 6 in exchange for two first-round picks, the first time the Ravens had ever surrendered a first-rounder for a veteran player.
The five-time Pro Bowler revealed on his podcast that when he touched down in Baltimore for his physical on March 10, he didn’t meet Ravens coach Jesse Minter or GM Eric DeCosta — the latter of whom previously said Crosby was “born to be a Raven” — until well after he arrived.
“I thought I was going to see [DeCosta] when I first got there. I don’t know why. I’m not going to speculate,” Crosby said. “He just made the trade, and I didn’t see him for five hours.”
When he finally met with Baltimore brass, the excitement around the deal had seemingly evaporated, with DeCosta raising additional concerns around Crosby’s knee.
Summoning additional opinions, including from renowned knee specialist Dan Cooper, the Ravens determined that while Crosby would be able to play in 2026, they doubted his long-term viability because of a “degenerative issue” in his knee, according to ESPN.
But as Crosby’s surgeon, Dr. Neal ElAttrache, told ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the superstar is progressing just fine.
“Maxx Crosby is doing very well in the early part of his rehab and recovery from surgery to treat a significant meniscus tear and the related stress injury to the bone and cartilage in his knee,” ElAttrache told Schefter. “He is certainly on track in his planned program. … He feels very well and is already much improved compared to before surgery.”
After Crosby’s agents, CJ LaBoy and Doug Hendrickson, expressed doubt that the deal would go through, the defensive end recalled that a Ravens staff member called him and said the team planned to push the deal through.
Five minutes later, according to Crosby, he was informed by LaBoy that the deal had been nixed — and that he was heading back to Las Vegas.
The next day, Hendrickson, who underwent core muscle surgery in December, booked a one-way ticket to Baltimore on a four-year, $112 million contract.
DeCosta previously said he was “gutted” by the Crosby fallout, and he spurned the narrative that the Ravens got cold feet in the deal, underscoring that the trade and the Hendrickson signing were “mutually exclusive” transactions.
But with so few details provided for the trade’s meltdown, DeCosta’s stance raised eyebrows across the league.
One NFC executive told ESPN, “I think the truth is somewhere in between.”
While trade talks for Crosby could reignite around the November deadline, it seems that the star pass-rusher will begin the 2026 season in a familiar home.
“I’m here. I’m meant to be a Raider,” Crosby said on his podcast. “I’m in this s–t for life until that changes, which I don’t foresee, but you never know in this damn league.”
