DeCosta: Ravens Planned On Signing Trey Hendrickson In Addition To Maxx Crosby
The Ravens remain at the heart of the NFL’s most notable (and controversial) storyline of the offseason. Shortly after backing out of the trade agreement which would have sent Maxx Crosby to Baltimore, the team agreed to terms with free agent Trey Hendrickson. 
GM Eric DeCosta spoke about the matter recently at a press conference. Notably, he said (via ESPN’s Jamison Hensley) the Ravens’ initial plan was to sign Hendrickson while also following through on the Crosby trade. Baltimore’s push to sign the former Bengals sack artist picked up late Tuesday, a point well after the free agent negotiating window opened but before – officially, at least – the Crosby trade fell through.
DeCosta said he was “gutted” about the fact his agreement with Raiders counterpart John Spytek was not finalized. The Ravens were set to send their first-round pick in 2026 and ’27 to Vegas for Crosby, who now remains under contract with Vegas.
The All-Pro’s future is once again in question, although he appears to be on course to continue his decorated run with the franchise. Crosby continues to rehab surgery following a meniscus repair; a failed physical led to the trade being called off, though DeCosta did not specifically reference Crosby’s medical testing when reflecting on this high-profile saga.
The timing of this matter proved to be impactful, with Monday marking (as usual) the busiest point on the calendar with respect to free agent deals being agreed to. Vegas in particular was active, with edge rusher Kwity Paye among the players set to be brought in. As Hensley’s colleague Jeremy Fowler notes, Crosby’s Baltimore physical did not take place until Tuesday. Many dominoes had already (unofficially) fallen by then, a sore spot for critics of how this situation has been handled.
While no league rules were broken, the Ravens’ decision to back out of the Crosby deal has led many to expect backlash from other GMs. DeCosta said, however, that his phone has not stopped ringing with the new league year continuing to unfold. It will nevertheless be interesting to see how future dealings with Baltimore take place moving forward.
Sack production was a major issue for Baltimore in 2025, making it no surprise the Crosby trade was worked out in the first place or that a big-ticket Hendrickson deal was signed. Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports Baltimore planned on restructuring Crosby’s contract (which runs through 2029 and is based heavily on base salaries) upon arrival. She adds, however, that doing so would have moved him near the top of the pass rush market and thus made a Hendrickson pact difficult to arrange given Baltimore’s cap situation.
Of course, that is now a moot point with Crosby set to continue with the Raiders or be traded to another team. Nonetheless, DeCosta’s remarks are certainly noteworthy in the wake of the criticism he has faced. Whether or not Hendrickson winds up being paired with one of the few low-cost EDGE options still on the market or a high draft choice in April will make for a storyline worth following.
Bears Confirm Maxx Crosby Pursuit; Cowboys’ Door Not Closed
As the countdown to free agency progressed last week, the trade rumors concerning Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby reached a fever pitch with the Ravens, Cowboys, and Bears being identified as Crosby’s top suitors. Obviously, there’s no need to recap everything that’s gone down since then (unless you’ve been living under a rock), but the failed trade to the Ravens has left Crosby’s future in a sort of limbo as Las Vegas attempts to determine if it still has a way to move him without giving up too much of the value it thought it had received last Friday night. 
There were several teams rumored to be involved in trade talks for Crosby, but the Raiders were pretty tight-lipped about any specifics. As we got into February, the league’s conference champions in Seattle and New England were noted as potential teams interested in the veteran edge defender. Entering March, the Bears and Cowboys were added to the list of potentially interested teams, but by Friday, Dallas and Baltimore were the only ones confirmed to be involved, while the Bears were “believed to be in the mix.”
Confirmation was delivered yesterday, when Bears general manager Ryan Poles told reporters (via ESPN’s Courtney Cronin), “We were involved. We checked into it. We looked to see if it made sense, had some dialogue. I’ll leave it at that.”
After their first full year with defensive end Montez Sweat, in which he recorded his second-lowest career sack total (5.5), Chicago made the move to pair him with Dayo Odeyingbo, signing Odeyingbo to a big deal in free agency. While the move benefitted Sweat, who turned in a 10.0-sack 2025 campaign, Odeyingbo followed Sweat’s lead from his first year and gave the Bears his lowest single-season sack total since his rookie year (1.0), playing only eight games before tearing his Achilles tendon.
The timetable for Odeyingbo’s return is still not clear, but even if he is back in time for the regular season, it’s understandable that the Bears might have wanted to kick the tires on Crosby. While it’s hard to tell just how far those conversations went, what seems clear now is that they don’t still seem to be happening. The market has certainly cooled over the past 48 hours or so, and there hasn’t been any reported efforts to recontinue trade negotiations.
Initially, after Crosby became available again, the Cowboys looked unlikely to pursue the recovering pass rusher. Dallas had been the clear second-place finisher in the race, but something seemingly changed between last Friday and Wednesday. This was thought to be due, in part, to the fact that, in their evaluation of Crosby’s knee injury, the Ravens solicited the opinion of the Cowboys’ team physician, Dr. Daniel Cooper. After he advised on the scans, the Ravens backed out of the trade.
Because Cooper would then return to the Cowboys, it seemed likely that Cooper’s opinion would remain unchanged, and the team would opt out of the running for Crosby. Additionally, since missing out on him the first time around, Dallas had traded for Packers edge Rashan Gary and added a few free agents. But the Cowboys’ decision doesn’t lie ultimately with Cooper and doesn’t appear to be impacted by Gary’s arrival in Dallas.
No. Instead, it’s Cowboys owner/team president/general manager Jerry Jones who makes those kinds of calls, and when asked if everything was over and done in regard to Crosby, Jones, ever the entertainer, couldn’t help but to leave them wanting more. Per Jon Machota of The Athletic, he told the media, “We’re pretty far down the road relative to what our plans are (for Crosby), so while I don’t anticipate (pursuing him), I don’t want to rule anything out.”
So, Jones left the door cracked, keeping it open to another pursuit of Crosby. Things are expected to be quiet for a while, though. So soon after the failed trade, the Raiders don’t want to try to trade Crosby right this instant since his price tag has diminished a bit. They’ll instead work to get him closer to health, so that his improved medical outlook post-draft — when teams will have a better idea of what their rosters are going to look like — might bump his price back up a bit. On the other side of the table, the lack of interest in Crosby at this point is likely due to either genuine concern about Dr. Cooper and the Ravens’ conclusions or a hope that the longer they wait, the more desperate the Raiders will be to get Crosby moved even if at a lower cost than they anticipated.
Ravens To Sign DE Trey Hendrickson
Making the decision to wave off the Maxx Crosby trade Tuesday, the Ravens will add the best edge rusher left available. Trey Hendrickson is signing with the team, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero report.
Hendrickson agreed to a four-year, $112MM deal with Baltimore, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. That contract comes in south of where Crosby’s resides on the Raiders’ payroll. Hendrickson agreed to a contract that includes $60MM guaranteed at signing, Schefter adds. That will bring the 10th-year veteran pass rusher guarantees beyond Year 1 — something he targeted during his yearslong Bengals negotiating saga.
[RELATED: Raiders Prepared To Keep Crosby; Latest On Trade Breakdown]
Incentives can take the two-year total to $64MM, Rapoport tweets, with Schefter adding eight-, 10- and 12-sack benchmarks are in place. A $500K incentive covers Hendrickson in sacks, meaning most of this deal goes to base value. The $60MM full guarantee ranks in the top 10 at the position, though it is not yet known where Jaelan Phillips and Odafe Oweh ended up in terms of locked-in money.
The Crosby fallout may have benefited Hendrickson. Most teams viewed the 31-year-old All-Pro EDGE as being set to land a deal in the $24-$25MM-per-year range, per The Athletic’s Dianna Russini. SI.com’s Albert Breer indicates $25-$27MM represented the range, helping explain why Hendrickson lingered in free agency. As of Tuesday, roughly a $10MM gap existed between Hendrickson’s camp and teams’ early offers.
As CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones notes, Crosby has about four years and $116MM left on his Raiders contract. The Ravens will shift to a free agent and retain their first-round picks, something the California Post’ Vincent Bonsignore notes does not appear to be going over well in some league circles. The Ravens stayed in touch with Hendrickson’s camp Tuesday, Russini adds, noting most in the building knew the ex-Bengal was set to join the team.
The Colts and Eagles are also believed to have made offers, Russini adds. An Indianapolis agreement would have reunited Hendrickson and Lou Anarumo, while Philly is still searching for a replacement for Jaelan Phillips. While those two clubs missed out, the Ravens have completed a shocking turn of events, ruffling feathers in the process.
The Bills, Buccaneers and Commanders were also involved in the Hendrickson derby, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler adds. Philly’s involvement here is classified as a late entrance, per Fowler, who adds the Colts believed they were close. The Bucs were offering a short-term deal. Hendrickson was connected to interest in joining the Bucs, as he is an Orlando native who played college ball at Florida Atlantic.
The Bills were also involved in a Crosby trade pursuit, while the Commanders pivoted to K’Lavon Chaisson shortly before the Hendrickson-Baltimore news emerged. Washington was in this market until the end, per ESPN.com’s John Keim, explaining the Chaisson deal’s timing.
It is worth wondering when the Ravens began discussing Hendrickson. Trades are not official until the start of the new league year (3pm CT today). It can be assumed Baltimore was all-in on Crosby, but Russini adds the team was familiar with the Raiders edge rusher’s rehab timeline. Crosby is recovering from meniscus surgery, a monthslong process that is not expected to affect his Week 1 availability, and some around the league view this as simply the Ravens getting cold feet on unloading two first-round picks. Hendrickson is nearly two years older than Crosby, but not costing two first-rounders is rather significant.
The Hendrickson market looked to see a mystery team emerge Tuesday afternoon, per NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo, who indicates teams became leery of this stealth suitor. That is widely believed to be the Ravens, who knew hours before the Raiders’ social media announcement they would be nixing the Crosby trade.
While this sets a bad precedent, such options are available to teams under a setup in which deals can be agreed to weeks in advance — as the 2021 Jared Goff–Matthew Stafford trade reminds — of the new league year before becoming official. The unraveling of the Ravens-Raiders’ Crosby trade took hours, Garafolo adds. Hendrickson came into the picture for the AFC North team at that point.
PFR’s No. 4-ranked free agent, Hendrickson scores a deal that lands between Phillips (our No. 3 FA) and Oweh in terms of AAV. His $28MM number is much better than where he was during most of his Cincinnati tenure. Hendrickson had signed a four-year, $60MM Bengals deal in 2021 before agreeing to a one-year, $21MM extension in 2023.
Hendrickson pursued an extension for years in Cincinnati, but the Bengals stood their ground and refused to offer post-Year 1 guarantees — an organizational precedent except in rare cases (Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase) — during last year’s standoff. A one-year, $29MM pact ended up being the late-summer resolution. The Bengals offered their top pass rusher a backloaded three-year, $95MM deal; he passed, leading to the August raise. The Bengals were linked to a 2026 Hendrickson franchise tag, but it would have come in well north of $30MM. Cincy passed and will move on, having agreed to sign Boye Mafe.
While Crosby probably has more long-term upside, Hendrickson put together a dominant run in the 2020s. The Bengals sack ace finished back-to-back seasons with 17.5 sacks and has two more campaigns (2020, 2021) with at least 13. After a belated breakthrough in a contract year (2020) with the Saints, Hendrickson helped the Bengals to Super Bowl LVI in his debut Ohio season. Hendrickson recorded at least 24 QB hits from 2020-24, topping out at 36 in managing to finish as Defensive Player of the Year runner-up on a bad 2024 Cincinnati defense.
Last year, hip trouble ended up shutting Hendrickson down after five games. The four-time Pro Bowler underwent core muscle surgery in December. That adds a layer to this edge rusher switcheroo, though the Ravens obviously do not expect Hendrickson to be delayed in coming back in time for the regular season. Wherever Crosby plays in 2026, he is expected to be on the field in Week 1 as well.
Never trading a future first-round pick for a veteran player in their 30-year history, the Ravens also have not been big spenders at the EDGE position since Terrell Suggs‘ Baltimore run ended. The team franchise-tagged Matt Judon but did not re-sign him, moving to Oweh’s rookie deal and a host of veteran stopgaps. This strategy, which included an Oweh trade midway through last season, led to Baltimore ranking 30th in sacks last season. The team will bet on Hendrickson recapturing his pre-injury form, while we wait to see where Crosby will end up.
Raiders Prepared To Keep Maxx Crosby; Team To Honor Free Agency Agreements
10:36pm: It appears that Crosby, too, is prepared to return to how things were. In a late night post on X, Crosby delivered a message with multiple short declarations, the most pertinent of which read, “Im [sic] A Raider. I’m Back.”
While trade talks will almost certainly resume as teams that lost out on Crosby the first time around try to haggle down to a new price, Crosby appears to be accepting the reality of his new situation. There surely will be more said on the matter before this is all said and done, but at this point, both Crosby and Vegas have declared that they are comfortable with a reunion after what was a much shorter-than-expected separation.
9:17pm: In the aftermath of one of the wildest transaction developments in recent NFL memory, several rumors, questions, and accusations surrounded the football teams in Baltimore and Las Vegas. Now that the dust has settled, let’s start with some of the things that are relatively clear following the cancelation of the Ravens’ trade for Raiders’ star defensive end Maxx Crosby. 
According to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, the Raiders’ team brass “reached out to (Crosby) immediately after the trade died yesterday.” The night of the ordeal, ESPN’s Adam Schefter relayed that Las Vegas was “prepared to get Crosby healthy and have him play,” adding that “several” teams had called to inquire about his availability in another trade and that the Raiders were listening. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, though, noted that the unfortunate timing of the ordeal “drastically limits the possibility of a trade,” partially because the teams that are calling Vegas now are “looking for a good deal.”
That timing will likely slow things down a bit. Per Breer, Crosby was back in the Raiders’ building at 6am this morning, coming in early to continue rehabbing the knee injury that seemingly caused all this drama. Two months removed from his full meniscus repair, Crosby’s focus has shifted to his “rehab and getting back,” according to Rapoport, “ready to play football for the Raiders, ready to move forward.” The Athletic’s Dianna Russini chimed in, as well, contributing that while the Raiders may still choose to trade Crosby if the right situation arises, his return has created a possible reality in which he could be “playing for the Raiders this upcoming season.”
Throughout what has surely been an emotional rollercoaster, Crosby has been nothing but professional. Though sources close to the 28-year-old five-time Pro Bowler have reported that he is “hot” and “angry as all can be that this played out the way that it did,” per Mike Garafolo of NFL Network, Crosby hasn’t express any of this anger publicly, allowing his old/new team and representation to speak for him. To that effect, Crosby’s agent, CJ LaBoy, released the following statement:
Maxx continues to be on track in his recovery and, if anything, is ahead of schedule, according to his surgeon, Dr. Neal El Attrache [sic]. Maxx remains on track to return during the offseason program and will undoubtedly return as the dominant game wrecker he has been these past seven seasons.
As for the Ravens, an early explanation came in the afternoon from Russini. In an appearance on The Dan Patrick Show, she laid out how the Ravens, like every team that had inquired about trading for Crosby, were aware of the veteran pass rusher’s knee injury and exact timeline for rehab based on the information from the Raiders and the surgeon that performed Crosby’s meniscus repair. She reported that, as Crosby arrived in Baltimore for his physical, “things just seemed really off in the building all day.” Following the physical, the Ravens reexamined the MRI scan results on Crosby’s knee and then had “four or five independent doctors” do the same, using that collective input to come to their ultimate decision to call off the trade.
According to NFL Network’s Jane Slater, another NFL team’s general manager had posited that, because Crosby was never going to pass a physical two months removed from surgery, “something else had to lead” to Baltimore’s reluctance. That GM suggested that, perhaps, Crosby could have been “too far behind in rehab,” or maybe the team didn’t “like the images of recovery.”
Essentially, Russini’s report concluded that what the team believes they discovered upon reexamination of his knee convinced them that the trade was no longer “worth” giving up two first-round picks. In her understanding, the Ravens’ view was that Crosby would likely be fine for the 2026 NFL season, in the short term. Their hold up came from their projections for his long-term availability, which were enough to convince them to sit Crosby down and explain that they would not be moving forward with the trade agreement, leading to a strong likelihood that Crosby remains a Raider this year and, perhaps, beyond.
Russini’s opinion on the matter was a popular one in media, one that spelled out a nefarious picture of the Ravens. She told Patrick that there was “100 percent shadiness going on” in the way things played out in Baltimore. In her eyes, the stalling market of former Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson — now a member of the Ravens, via free agency — and the mass exodus of key contributors from Baltimore in free agency combined to show the Ravens an alternative route out of the hole they had put themselves in by dedicating significant cap space to Crosby and limiting their ability to re-sign pending free agents. While only the Ravens will ever know their true intentions, it’s at least fair two say both things can be true, that medical concerns and greater surrounding context could both have influenced the team’s final decision.
Regardless, Crosby’s future now lies back in the hands of the team that drafted him out of Eastern Michigan almost seven years ago. As mentioned above, the Raiders appear willing to listen to the market of teams that will make offers for the 28-year-old star, but Russini warns that they shouldn’t “expect teams to be lining up immediately to get back into” trade talks for Crosby. There’s a general feeling that the price for Crosby will have dropped following the way everything played out, and no team seems eager to set the market. In fact, Russini reports that some teams “expect the Raiders to be the ones calling them.”
The Cowboys, who seemingly had placed second in the initial Crosby sweepstakes, appear to have already bowed out of Round 2. At the time the Raiders had been seeking two first-round picks a week ago, Dallas had reportedly been working on a deal to package defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa with some draft capital in an offer to trade for Crosby, per NFL insider Jordan Schultz. Instead, Odighizuwa will make his way to the Raiders’ old Bay Area, cross-conference rivals in San Francisco.
The rest of the fallout from the events of the past several days remains to be seen, but for now, the Raiders intend to honor all of the non-binding free agent deals they agreed to when they believed Crosby would no longer be on their books, per Breer. With Crosby back in the fold, the purse strings are certainly going to be a bit tighter, but Las Vegas entered the offseason with the most cap space in the NFL, and though they weren’t expecting it, they can shoulder Crosby’s cap burden for the time.
As Crosby restarts his rehab with his old team again, though, he may have to rebuild some bridges that were burned on his way out of Vegas. According to an old report from Michael Silver of The Athletic, Crosby had become frustrated by the presence of minority owner Tom Brady‘s longtime business partner, wellness coordinator Alex Guerrero. Now that he’s back in the building, and it appears that he could be staying, Crosby may have to make nice with someone who “purports to possess significant organizational power” and “is perceived to have a direct pipeline to Brady.” After a disheartening roundtrip to Baltimore, Crosby will have to make peace with the devil he knows.
Cowboys Unlikely To Pursue Maxx Crosby
The Cowboys were among the teams in talks for Maxx Crosby before the Ravens agreed to acquire him from the Ravens last Friday. The Ravens were prepared to part with two first-round picks until they shockingly backed out of the deal on Tuesday night. Crosby’s status is once again in limbo as the new league year begins.
The Raiders could still move Crosby, but the Cowboys are not expected to get involved in a new round of talks, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports. Baltimore called off the blockbuster swap after Crosby, who is recovering from a full meniscus repair, failed its physical. Dr. Dan Cooper, the Cowboys’ team physician, has expressed concerns over Crosby’s knee, Jane Slater of NFL Network told 105.3 The Fan.
Less than a year after shipping Micah Parsons to the Packers for two first-round picks and defensive tackle Kenny Clark, the Cowboys would have sent a first- and a second-rounder to the Raiders for Crosby. While a healthy Crosby would have given the Cowboys a credible Parsons replacement, they have since pivoted to Rashan Gary in another trade with the Packers. Further pass-rushing acquisitions could still be on the way for Dallas, but it appears Crosby is off the table for owner Jerry Jones & Co.
Although Crosby’s balky knee scared off the Ravens and Cowboys, the five-time Pro Bowler is off crutches and “on schedule” in his recovery, Adam Schefter of ESPN relays. The goal is for Crosby to be ready for Week 1 next season.
Dr. Neal ElAttrache, who performed Crosby’s surgery, told Schefter: “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. He is certainly on track in his planned program….he feels very well and is already much improved compared to before surgery.”
Dr. ElAttrache continued: “We truly respect the work of the Ravens staff with Maxx regarding the contract physical exam. We also understand the challenge the staff faces when tasked to provide a future risk assessment based on an evaluation early in the recovery process.”
While he added that “the apparent risk will lessen as [Crosby’s] recovery progresses,” neither the Ravens nor Cowboys are willing to make a significant investment in the 28-year-old. The Ravens moved on to fellow star defensive end Trey Hendrickson, whom they added on a four-year, $112MM deal on Wednesday. It appeared there was finally an answer on Crosby’s future last week, but now it is murkier than ever.
Ravens Nix Trade For Raiders OLB Maxx Crosby
Trades cannot be official until the 2026 league year begins Wednesday, and the Raiders dropped a bombshell about their recent blockbuster. The Maxx Crosby deal is off, according to the Raiders.
The Raiders said in a statement the Ravens have backed out of the trade. Baltimore was to send two first-round picks to Las Vegas for the All-Pro edge rusher. Crosby had expressed excitement about being traded to the Ravens, but per the AFC West franchise, the deal is off.
“The Baltimore Ravens have backed out of our trade agreement for Maxx Crosby. We will have no further comment at this time,” the Las Vegas statement reads.
All trades are pending physicals, and Crosby is recovering from much-publicized knee surgery. Crosby failed his Ravens physical today at the team facility, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reports. A month ago a report surfaced indicating Crosby underwent a full meniscus repair, rather than a trim. The eighth-year edge rusher’s recovery is expected to be measured in months, not weeks. The Ravens undoubtedly knew this, but upon examining Crosby, it appears we have one of the highest-profile instances of cold feet in NFL history.
The Ravens were to send their No. 14 overall pick and their 2027 first for the disgruntled Crosby, who is on a through-2029 contract. However, everything looks to be up in the air. Based on the Raiders releasing a statement, it would be rather unusual if the sides put the trade back on course.
Crosby, 28, never officially requested a trade but it had become well known he wanted to be dealt to a contending team. And SI.com’s Albert Breer reports Crosby did request a move privately. Crosby voiced frustration — to put it mildly — at the Raiders shutting him down with a knee injury he believed he could play through. Reports of Crosby evaluating his future escalated into full-blown trade rumors. The Raiders were believed to be setting too high a price, — as a desire for a Micah Parsons-like haul surfaced at multiple points — but a bidding war took place around the Combine.
The Cowboys were believed to be prepared to send the Raiders a first-round pick and a second, but the Ravens won the derby — as of Friday night, at least — with a two-first-rounder proposal. The Jaguars joined the Bears as other teams in the mix. The Bengals and Eagles looked to tip their toes in the water here, per Breer, though it does not appear either was too near the front of the line. The Bills were interested as well, Breer adds, but the Raiders did not deem their first-round pick being valuable enough to be the centerpiece of a trade package.
It does not look like the Bears were a frontline suitor, per ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler, but the Cowboys were believed to be willing to include a player in a trade along with the first- and second-round picks. Dallas is now sounding open to trading D-tackle Osa Odighizuwa, after trading for both Quinnen Williams and Kenny Clark following that March 2025 re-signing, but Fowler adds the Cowboys set limits — based on its Williams trade package — about how far they would go for this particular player.
In Crosby’s stealth trade request, Breer indicates he expressed a desire to work with the Raiders for the team to obtain the best possible deal from a contender. That is perhaps why no official trade request became public. The Raiders retained some leverage this way, even though the tea leaves pointed to a move transpiring. The Seahawks and Patriots loomed as suitors as well, though a source told Fowler minority owner Tom Brady is not expected to entertain a deal with the Patriots.
This also puts the Raiders in a tighter spot. Although the team carried an NFL-leading cap-space figure into free agency, that was contingent on Crosby’s 2026 cap number being off the books. The Raiders have run wild in free agency, adding several starters — most notably with a record-smashing accord for Ravens Pro Bowl center Tyler Linderbaum — to prepare for the arrival of Fernando Mendoza‘s rookie deal. Las Vegas was to hold the No. 14 pick to supplement its incoming quarterback as well. Now, a fascinating pivot will need to take place.
The Raiders also added Kwity Paye, Quay Walker, Nakobe Dean and Jalen Nailor on Monday. None of these moves can be announced until the new league year begins at 3pm CT Wednesday. This waiting period usually is a nonfactor, as players almost always follow through on their commitments. But failed physicals are certainly nothing new. This one will go down in trade infamy, though, due to the two-first-rounder return the Raiders were to receive.
Even with this shocking turn of events technically placing Crosby’s 2026 cap number back on the Raiders’ payroll, it is unlikely the team would bail on its Day 1 FA deals. The Raiders will seemingly proceed to another team here. Though, it is quite possible a 2027 first-rounder will not be attainable.
Another team could pass Crosby on a physical, but he is going into an age-29 season. That has long made it iffy in terms of a two-first-rounder haul, as Parsons and Khalil Mack were respectively swapped at 26 and 27. That said, both those All-Pros required new contracts. Crosby was set to play on his 2025 Raiders extension, helping the Raiders secure their desired trade return.
Crosby viewed the Raiders as sitting him in order to secure the No. 1 pick, and Breer adds that while a meeting with Klint Kubiak went well, it did not move the needle with regard to the impact edge rusher wanting to stay. GM John Spytek said at the Combine the Raiders planned on retaining Crosby, but it is not exactly stunning to see such an about-face occur based on Combine pressers. And a report soon after had the Raiders warming to a trade.
The Raiders also did a deal with a team that, as our Ely Allen pointed out, had never traded a future first-round pick for a player in its 30-year history. The Ravens also are not usually big spenders at edge rusher, having mostly used low-cost vets and first-rounder Odafe Oweh since Matt Judon‘s 2021 departure.
Considering what a typically risk-averse franchise was giving up, trepidation regarding Crosby’s knee rehab makes sense. Still, the Raiders needing to go back to the drawing board four days after reaching the trade agreement represents one of the crazier developments in modern NFL history. The Ravens backed out of a deal with wide receiver Ryan Grant in 2018 and, as ESPN’s Adam Schefter points out, a contract with safety Brock Marion was nixed on Baltimore’s end in 1997.
While Terrell Owens did not fail a physical back in 2004 — when an arbitrator called off a Baltimore-San Francisco trade, leading the future Hall of Fame receiver to Philadelphia — this Crosby non-trade will remind of that near-miss. Observing where a second Crosby trade market goes, and how Baltimore fills its EDGE need (after ranking 30th in the NFL in sacks last season), will be must-follow storylines for NFL fans moving forward.
Eagles Have Inquired On Vikings’ Jonathan Greenard; Jalen Carter Drawing Trade Interest
One of this year’s biggest trade candidates has already been dealt, with the Raiders agreeing to send DE Maxx Crosby to the Ravens in exchange for two first-round picks. Another high-profile edge rusher, the Vikings’ Jonathan Greenard, is also said to be available via trade, and ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports the Eagles have inquired.
It is unclear if talks between Minnesota and Philadelphia are ongoing, though Fowler adds the Vikes have received a number of calls on Greenard. The price to acquire him will be substantially less than the haul Baltimore gave up to land Crosby, with Fowler reiterating his prior report that a Day 2 pick will likely get it done.
The complicating factor here is that Greenard is seeking a raise despite having two years remaining on his current deal and despite coming off a season in which he played in just 12 games due to injury and recorded three sacks. It would make plenty of sense for a team to give up a Day 2 selection to land a pass rusher who posted 24.5 sacks over the 2023-24 seasons, but it would be more surprising to see Greenard secure a new deal at this juncture.
Meanwhile, the Eagles continue to negotiate with Jaelan Phillips, whom they acquired from the Dolphins at the 2025 trade deadline. Philly elected against putting the $28MM franchise tag on Phillips but are nonetheless prepared to authorize a notable contract. Per Fowler, the Eagles are willing to go “well above” $20MM per year for Phillips, who played well during his brief Philadelphia stint.
In addition to Greenard, the Eagles view the Seahawks’ Boye Mafe as a contingency plan if they are unable to retain Phillips, according to Fowler (who adds the club was never really in on Crosby). As those situations continue to unfold, and as A.J. Brown trade rumors continue to swirl, Fowler says Philadelphia GM Howie Roseman is also fielding trade calls for someone other than Brown.
Defensive tackle Jalen Carter is generating outside interest, as Fowler reports. We heard in January that Carter and fellow DT Jordan Davis were among Roseman’s top extension priorities, and the team just agreed to a lucrative extension for Davis. Our Ely Allen suggested that deal may cloud Carter’s future with the Eagles, especially since the 2023 first-rounder could be shooting for an historic pact.
Since he has accumulated three years of service time, Carter is now extension-eligible. The Eagles must make a decision on his fifth-year option by May 1, though it should be an easy call to exercise the option and lock in a $21.04 salary for 2027. To be clear, Fowler does not say whether Philadelphia is entertaining trade inquiries, and he does not mention which teams have reached out.
Raiders To Trade DE Maxx Crosby To Ravens For Two First-Round Picks
After speculation earlier today that the Ravens were making a push for Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby, a deal has reportedly been made. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, Las Vegas has agreed to send Crosby to Baltimore in exchange for the Ravens’ first-round picks for the next two years. The trade cannot be officially processed until the new league year starts next week, but the agreement appears to be in place.
It had been reported that the Ravens were one of a few teams making a strong push for Crosby, and about half an hour ago, NFL insider Jason La Canfora relayed that the Ravens weren’t just interested here, they were “desperate for an impact (defensive) lineman.” It was actually in this post from La Canfora that it was first reported that Baltimore was willing to deal two first-round picks.
That news, by itself, was headline-worthy. A franchise notorious for the way it builds through the draft, the Ravens had never — in their short, 30-year history — traded a future first-round pick — let alone two — in exchange for a player. The closest such situation came all the back in 2003, the only other time the team gave up a future first-round pick. They gave their 2004 first-rounder to the Patriots in order to move back up into the first-round, after having taken Arizona State record-setting pass rusher Terrell Suggs at No. 10 overall, to select Cal quarterback Kyle Boller with the 19th pick that year.
This should speak volumes about how badly the Ravens felt they needed to acquire Crosby. It was only a year ago that Baltimore finished just behind Denver for the most sacks in the NFL thanks to breakout performances from veteran Kyle Van Noy and fourth-year pass rusher Odafe Oweh who combined together to take down the quarterback 22.5 times. This year, the Ravens held the third-lowest sack total in the league. Van Noy missed a couple games and Oweh was traded to Los Angeles after only five, but the two defenders’ sack total in Baltimore this year was 2.0.
Perhaps even more detrimental to the Ravens’ pass rush in 2025 was the season-ending loss of defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike. The second-team All-Pro tackle suffered a Week 2 neck injury that not only sidelined him for the remainder of the year but also put Madubuike’s long-term future in question. It’s been six months since the disruptive lineman went down, and with the team still not able to offer a positive update on the matter, reports of Baltimore’s desperation for an elite defensive lineman and today’s subsequent trade may spell out the worse for Madubuike.
With the future of the Ravens pass rush looking as dour as it ever has, what better gift could new head coach Jesse Minter be presented with than Crosby? Minter’s defense is Los Angeles last year saw much more success than Baltimore’s, even getting 7.5 sacks out of Oweh, who was sackless before getting traded. Minter also got to see Crosby up close and personal three times during his tenure as defensive coordinator for the Chargers. One has to imagine Minter had some influence on the decision to pursue the AFC West star.
Trade interest in Crosby dates all the way back to 2023. Having just signed a four-year, $94MM extension of his rookie contract, Crosby delivered a breakout season, notching 12.5 sacks and a league-leading 22 tackles for loss. During another lost season in Las Vegas, the vultures circled over Crosby around the trade deadline, but the Raiders rebuked all advances. In an effort to endorse then-interim head coach Antonio Pierce for the official job, the fiercely loyal Crosby threatened to request a trade should Pierce not be retained.
When the trade deadline rolled around the next season, and Pierce’s 2-4 start as the full head coach had the vultures circling again, the team had to fight off trade inquiries once again. In the offseason last year, trade interest once again swirled around Crosby and the Raiders, but ultimately, the team signed him to a new three-year, $106.5MM extension keeping him under contract through the 2029 NFL season. For the third trade deadline in a row, though, Vegas had to continue to deny that Crosby was available.
Things took a turn for the worse near the end of the season when, in an attempt to secure their best chance at the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, the Raiders shut Crosby down for the final two games of the regular season. In response to hearing his team’s decision, Crosby immediately exited the facility, and it was reported that he would evaluate his future in Vegas. According to Dianna Russini of The Athletic, that decision by the Raiders “soured his belief that Las Vegas was the right place for him.” Ever the loyal teammate who once had claimed hopes of finishing his career with the Raiders, Crosby did not publicize his trade requests as the Raiders muddied the waters to maintain leverage in trade negotiations, even though both sides “knew that Crosby’s future was sealed back in mid-December.”
A year after having signed his extension, Crosby finally will get traded. It had been reported that the Raiders were looking for a Micah Parsons– or Khalil Mack-level package in exchange for Crosby. In regard to Parsons, that meant two first-round picks and an impact player, while Mack was traded — along with a second- and fifth-round pick — for two firsts-, a third-, and a sixth-round pick. There were rumored contenders in Super Bowl participants Seattle and New England, but early thoughts were that the Parsons/Mack-like asking price was too high.
The Raiders didn’t feel a need to lower the price, though. They felt that, as interest in Crosby grew and the pressure to offer just a bit more continued to increase, someone would eventually meet the price they needed to hear to pull the trigger.
The Bears and Cowboys entered the fold, and it was disclosed that the Ravens joined the chase a few days later. It simply came down to the fact that Ravens were the first to breach the threshold of two first-round picks, which was apparently, all the Raiders were actually looking for. The Cowboys reportedly were only willing to offer a first- and second-round pick, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, despite holding two Day 1 selections after the Parsons deal. According to Russini, the Jaguars also attempted to get in the mix, but the lack of a first-round pick this year — from the trade up to draft Travis Hunter — prevented them from putting together a competitive offer.
In exchange for finally making this trade, the Raiders have put themselves in excellent position for a reboot in 2026. They now hold the Nos. 1 and 14 picks in the upcoming draft, and according to Vincent Bonsignore of the California Post, the effects of the Crosby trade and the eventual release of quarterback Geno Smith will put Las Vegas at a league-leading approximate $127MM in cap space. With a fresh staff under newly hired head coach Klint Kubiak and all signs pointing to the arrival of Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza as the first pick of the draft, the Raiders are as primed as they’ll ever be to make the turnaround of the century.
Ravens, Cowboys, Bears Among Top Maxx Crosby Suitors; Others Still In Play
2:11pm: Mentioned previously as a team to monitor with regards to Crosby, the Bears are still believed to be in the mix. Chicago joins Baltimore and Dallas here, CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones notes. The Bears and Raiders swung the Khalil Mack trade nearly eight years ago, though that was with Ryan Pace and Jon Gruden steering those ships, and Chicago appears interested — despite its Dayo Odeyingbo 2025 signing — in adding an impact edge rusher opposite Montez Sweat.
Las Vegas is believed to have received “multiple strong offers,” according to veteran insider Jordan Schultz. Those teams are waiting on the Raiders, per Schultz, though Jones indicates no trade is imminent.
11:34am: One of the stop storylines around the league remains a situation tied not to upcoming free agency but rather a potential blockbuster trade. Maxx Crosby is still in place for the Raiders as things stand, although that could soon change.
Recent reports have labeled at least 12 teams as being interested to one extent or another. As the new league year approaches, a shorter list of finalists figures to emerge. On that note, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports the Ravens and Cowboys are among the suitors to watch closely as it pertains to Crosby. Colleague James Palmer adds two other teams in particular are firmly in the mix as well.
Vegas has been linked to an asking price matching what the Cowboys received in the Micah Parsons trade. That would require a pair of first-round picks along with a player heading back to the Raiders. No team has been willing to meet that demand yet, but interest remains very high. SportsBoom’s Jason La Canfora adds Baltimore is currently making a “concerted push” to acquire the five-time Pro Bowler. According to multiple officials La Canfora spoke with, the Ravens are prepared to trade the 14th overall pick in April’s draft along with Day 2 capital in a Crosby trade.
GM Eric DeCosta has made a number of high-profile trades during his tenure, taking that route to acquire the likes of Roquan Smith, Marcus Peters and Calais Campbell over the years. A lack of pass rush production was a major issue for Baltimore in 2025, leaving additions on that front as an obvious offseason priority. Free agency will present DeCosta with a number of possibilities, but the most impactful move possible would of course be a Crosby trade.
The Cowboys have previously been linked to the Raiders standout, so today’s update comes as no surprise. Dallas’ production off the edge in 2025 was hindered by the Parsons trade, and a quartet of incumbent players (Jadeveon Clowney, Sam Williams, Dante Fowler and Payton Turner) are pending free agents. Multiple additions could be coming soon as a result, but none would be more substantial than a swap yielding Crosby.
Owner Jerry Jones has stated an abnormal willingness to be aggressive on the open market. That could of course include one or more big-ticket deals in free agency, and a number of recent restructures has given Dallas a degree of cap flexibility. The Cowboys made a splash on the trade front in November by adding defensive tackle Quinnen Williams, and the Parsons swap has left them with two first-round picks in 2026. Parting with one of them as part of a Crosby package could allow for a high-profile EDGE acquisition to pair with Williams along the interior.
Raiders GM John Spytek offered a public expectation to keep Crosby – who will turn 29 in August and whose contract runs through 2029 – in place when speaking at the Combine. Nevertheless, he is listening to offers. The Ravens and Cowboys (not to mention to remaining finalists) will be worth monitoring over the coming days as Spytek weighs his options.
Raiders Warming To Prospect Of Maxx Crosby Trade?
John Spytek said at the Combine he envisioned Maxx Crosby being a Raider in 2026, but the second-year GM planned to listen to offers. With a Crosby trade being a clear gateway to accelerating a Raiders rebuild before this year’s draft, the team may be warming to the prospect of moving on.
Teams in the trade market are now under the impression the Raiders are more open to trading the All-Pro edge rusher, insider Jordan Schultz notes. The Bears, Cowboys, Patriots and Seahawks have been mentioned as prospective suitors. Crosby has naturally drawn widespread interest, with a sizable chunk of the NFL checking in after his late-season IR placement began a spiral that has led to this point.
The Raiders are believed to have set a high asking price — perhaps as much as two first-rounders and a player — for the 28-year-old star rusher. Teams around the league have viewed the AFC West team’s ask as exorbitant, but with a bidding war perhaps unfolding, Spytek may be able to keep his price point around the Micah Parsons/Khalil Mack level.
As covered in our Raiders Offseason Outlook piece, Crosby’s 2025 Raiders extension represents a wrinkle in this process. The tackle-for-loss maven is signed through 2029 on a $35.5MM-per-year contract. Generally, blockbuster pass rusher trades come to pass because of contract squabbles. That was the case with Parsons and Mack, with many others in recent NFL history falling into that category as well.
Crosby being prepared to play on his current contract gives an acquiring team an advantage, as that deal — tops among edge rushers when signed last March — is now sixth in terms of AAV at the position. While Mark Davis has slammed the door on Crosby trade interest in the past, we may see a swap soon.
If the Raiders hang onto Crosby past the draft, a deal would not necessarily be dead. The Parsons and Mack swaps were executed just before the season, but the Raiders would be acquiring 2027 draft capital instead of being able to surround likely No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza with more help this year.
With the team missing the past four playoff brackets since Crosby’s first extension, cashing out now is a logical move. Although a few talented edge rushers are set to hit free agency, none would stand to make the kind of impact Crosby would. The next few days will be interesting on this market, as the Raiders will surely have a handful of offers by free agency.