The Baltimore Ravens have agreed a four-year, $112 million contract with four-time Pro Bowl edge rusher Trey Hendrickson, according to reports, after backing out of a blockbuster trade for Las Vegas Raiders star Maxx Crosby late on Tuesday.
The deal cannot be formalised until the start of the new league year at 4pm ET on Wednesday. Baltimore pivoted to Hendrickson after concerns over Crosby’s knee injury scuppered the trade, allowing the Ravens to keep the two first-round draft picks they had offered the Raiders.
Hendrickson, 31, was an All-Pro in 2024 when he led the NFL with 17.5 sacks. He managed only four sacks in seven games last season due to injury. Over nine seasons with New Orleans and Cincinnati, he has 81 sacks and reached double digits four times, including back-to-back 17.5 sack campaigns in 2023-24.
The Raiders confirmed on Tuesday evening that Baltimore had withdrawn from the Crosby trade. Crosby underwent surgery in January to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee and needed to pass a physical for the deal to go through. A source told the Associated Press that Crosby failed his physical. Despite the setback, Crosby’s agent CJ LaBoy insisted the player is “ahead of schedule” in his recovery under orthopedist Dr Neal ElAttrache.
Crosby, 28, recorded 10 sacks and a career-high 28 tackles for loss last season. His addition was expected to bolster a Ravens defence that ranked joint 28th in sacks with 30. Baltimore, now under first-year head coach Jesse Minter, are in a win-now window with three-time All-Pro quarterback Lamar Jackson and will hope Hendrickson provides the edge rush boost.
The Raiders, who hold the No 1 overall draft pick and are widely expected to select Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza, have been aggressive in free agency. They agreed to trade Geno Smith to the New York Jets and signed three-time Pro Bowl centre Tyler Linderbaum to a three-year, $81m deal with $60m guaranteed, luring him from Baltimore. Despite having nearly $112m in salary cap space, the Raiders may struggle to trade Crosby again given his injury history and strained relationship with the organisation.
