Maxx Crosby Breaks Silence on Failed Baltimore Ravens Trade
Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby has spoken publicly for the first time about his failed trade to the Baltimore Ravens, admitting he was 'livid and confused' when receiving the devastating news. The Pro Bowl pass rusher appeared destined to swap Las Vegas for Baltimore last week after the Raiders agreed to send him to the Ravens in exchange for two first-round draft picks.
The Staggering Collapse at the Eleventh Hour
Astonishingly, the blockbuster trade broke down at the final moment over what has been rumored as a 'failed' physical, forcing Crosby to reluctantly board a plane back to Sin City. Crosby, who traveled to Baltimore with his wife Rachel, young daughter Ella Rose, and agent CJ LaBoy before undergoing the unsuccessful medical examination, broke his silence on the staggering collapse during an episode of his 'The Rush' podcast.
After completing the physical, the 28-year-old recalled meeting Ravens head coach Jesse Minter for the first time, quickly realizing something was amiss. 'I dap him up and I can just tell the energy was a little bit off,' Crosby revealed. 'The GM [Eric DeCosta] was standing in the hall to the right, and that was the first time I'd seen him. In my head, this is a whirlwind. Like, I'm so excited, fired up. And you could just tell the energy was off.'
The Devastating Medical Revelation
Crosby continued: 'I dapped [Minter] up and he 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. I go into the room, they sit me down on the couch and he's like, "Man I don't know how to say this, but one of our doctors has concerns with the results, like with your knee, some of them are really concerned about the future. We really want you but we're gonna have to get more and more opinions."'
The revelation left Crosby 'terrified' just two months after undergoing surgery on his left knee, though surgeon Dr. Neal ElAttrache later reassured him that his repaired meniscus was healing exactly as it should. Somehow, Crosby managed to take a 20-minute nap as his proposed trade hung in the balance, before the Ravens officially pulled out of the deal.
The Moment of Truth and Aftermath
'I call CJ back and he hits me, he's like, "Yo, they're backing out." And it's crazy cause one of the Ravens guys called me [just before] and he's like, "Yo we're trying to figure this out, we're gonna get this done, don't worry." Like five minutes later CJ calls me and he's like, "They're backing out." I'm like, "Holy s***." So I'm like frozen. I'm livid, I'm confused. The whole nine all in one,' Crosby recounted.
Crosby also claimed he never met Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta despite arriving at the team's facility ahead of his expected trade. 'I thought I was gonna see him when I first got there,' he explained. 'I didn't see him for five hours. So, he didn't come out. And I don't know why. I'm not gonna speculate. I didn't see him one time. I even asked the girl, I was like, "Where's Eric?" You know what I mean? He just made the trade.'
Accepting Destiny in Las Vegas
Nevertheless, Crosby suggested it is his destiny to remain with the Las Vegas Raiders, despite his initial desire to leave the franchise following their miserable 2025 season. 'Everyone's got their own theory, conspiracy theory [about why the Ravens pulled out of the trade], no one really will ever admit on either side what the real truth is or whatever. And ultimately, it doesn't even matter. I am where I'm supposed to be. I know that,' he stated.
Crosby missed the end of the season and underwent successful surgery to repair the meniscus in his left knee in early January 2026. The defensive end is coming off a turbulent season in Las Vegas, having signed a three-year, $106.5 million extension a year ago to stay with the Raiders, making him the NFL's highest-paid non-quarterback at the time.
Despite being placed on injured reserve in December, Crosby recorded 10 sacks, 73 tackles, and two forced fumbles. His knee injury became a league-wide news story when then-Raiders coach Pete Carroll spoke openly about Crosby potentially needing surgery, though other reports contradicted this claim, and Crosby added fuel to the fire by posting footage of himself playing basketball on his home court when he was supposedly injured.
