It's been an eventful day for the Baltimore Ravens, to say the least. On Tuesday night, the Ravens officially backed out of their trade with the Las Vegas Raiders for star pass rusher Maxx Crosby. The reasoning behind the move was reported to be due to medical reasons. On Wednesday morning, multiple reports indicated that the Ravens had agreed to terms with former Cincinnati Bengals pass rusher Trey Hendrickson on a four-year, $112 million contract.
Following this news, the belief among fans may have been that the Ravens only pursued and landed Hendrickson because of the Crosby trade falling through. However, there is new intel that says otherwise.
During an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter says that Hendrickson had the understanding that he was going to be signing with Baltimore to team up with Crosby.
"Trey Hendrickson said that his understanding was when he was thinking of going to Baltimore it was to team up with Maxx Crosby..
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) March 11, 2026
That was his initial impression but he's happy to get his deal done" ~ @AdamSchefter #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/jk9rWLLiBF
"Trey Hendrickson said that his understanding was when he was thinking of going to Baltimore it was to team up with Maxx Crosby, and I don't think he was particularly thrilled that the Maxx Crosby trade fell through," said Schefter. "He was looking forward, if he opted for the Baltimore offer in the midst of his discussions with multiple teams, to playing with Maxx Crosby. That was his initial impression. Again, I think he's happy to get his business taken care of, first and foremost. I think it started out in the conversations...he thought that there was the real possibility he would be playing with Maxx Crosby if that was the route he went."
Trey Hendrickson's initially believed he'd sign with Ravens to team up with Maxx Crosby
A Hendrickson-Crosby duo would have been something for the Ravens, especially in Jesse Minter's and Anthony Weaver's defensive scheme. Plus it would create a nightmare scenario for the other quarterbacks in the AFC North.
Unfortunately for Ravens fans, the trade was not meant to be. Crosby, who is recovering from significant meniscus surgery, had a physical with the Ravens before the trade became official at the start of the new league year at 4:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday. The Ravens held consultations over the results, including with Dallas Cowboys team doctor Daniel Cooper, and ultimately informed the Raiders they were rescinding their trade offer. Thus, the Ravens got their 2026 and 2027 first round picks back.
Hendrickson was expected to make a decision on Wednesday, with teams like the Indianapolis Colts and Philadelphia Eagles also linked to the former Bengals defensive end. But even without Crosby being on the roster at the start of the league year, Hendrickson still chose to sign with the Ravens.
This past season, Hendrickson recorded 16 total tackles (11 solo, five assisted), eight quarterback hits, and four sacks in seven games. He is two years removed from recording a league-high 17.5 sacks in 17 games.
Despite what was contrarily believed, Hendrickson seemed willing to join the Ravens to team up alongside Crosby. Even with Crosby no longer heading to Baltimore, Hendrickson still chose to agree to terms with the Ravens.