The Baltimore Ravens were having an outstanding offseason. Key word: were. After initially agreeing to a trade for edge rusher Maxx Crosby, one where they were expected to send two first-round picks to the Las Vegas Raiders, they opted to back out of the trade on Tuesday. A complete stunner.
From the #Raiders: pic.twitter.com/6oMYCOLZfi
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 10, 2026
Crosby appeared to be the edge rusher that the Ravens had long been searching for. Crosby is both a dynamic force off the edge in passing situations and plays like a Raven in run defense, too, acting as one of the best run stoppers in the NFL. Apparently, a seemingly perfect pairing wasn't meant to be.
The reason for this? Crosby’s medicals. The 28-year-old had injured his meniscus in 2025 and eventually had surgery to repair the knee. Clearly, Baltimore thought the knee would cause a major issue in this deal working out.
From our breaking news coverage: The #Ravens made a decision on Maxx Crosby's medical that they are not ready to assume the risk of Crosby's knee -- nullifying the trade. pic.twitter.com/fPou4qSYym
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 11, 2026
Baltimore Ravens back out of Maxx Crosby deal due to medical reasons
The Ravens needed this one badly. With legal tampering kicking off on Monday, they watched many key free agents depart for other teams. Now, the league year doesn’t start until Wednesday, and nothing is official yet, but this puts them at a severe disadvantage.
Crosby was far and away the best pass rusher that Baltimore could’ve gotten this offseason. For a unit that had just 30 sacks in 2025, they needed a superstar. Crosby should’ve been that, but unfortunately, the front office felt compelled to back out of the potential franchise-shifting trade.
When you’re trading two first-round picks, it’s understandable to want to have everything clean in Crosby’s medical report. Trading away the next two years of your future can cause a complete tailspin if the player can’t get on the field. And with the Ravens usually hoarding draft picks and this being the first time they ever dealt a first-round pick for a veteran, this was the perfect storm for everything to go wrong in the pending trade.
This is pretty unprecedented for such a major deal. There’s no telling where Baltimore, or even Las Vegas, goes from here. Both fanbases are absolutely shell-shocked right now.