As the shockwaves continue to reverberate after Maxx Crosby’s move to the Baltimore Ravens collapsed in the 11th hour, teams across the NFL are wondering: what next?
In a pointed statement released Tuesday evening, the Las Vegas Raiders confirmed the trade was off just hours before the 2026 league year was set to become official, saying the Ravens ‘backed out’ of the agreement.
The deal, which would have seen the Ravens part with their 2026 and 2027 first-round picks, reportedly crumbled after Crosby failed a medical examination. And with that, Tom Brady’s Raiders rebuild took a wild twist that nobody saw coming.
While the Raiders’ medical staff had originally cleared the star, the Ravens’ evaluation flagged significant concerns regarding his recovery from offseason knee surgery.
Crosby had already shared a 13-minute farewell to ‘Raider Nation’ on social media, expressing his excitement to chase a Super Bowl alongside Lamar Jackson. But as of Wednesday, Crosby is headed back to Las Vegas and according to NFL Insider Ian Rapoport, is ready to move forward with the Raiders.
Yet everyone knew that Crosby wanted to leave, was ready for a change and to compete for a Super Bowl in 2026. Rival teams are still circling and sense that they now might be able to trade for Crosby in a bargain deal.
Raiders star Maxx Crosby saw his move to the Baltimore Ravens fall through at the last minute
The Raiders and Tom Brady now have to go back to the drawing board with their Crosby trade
Crosby has been rehabilitating from left knee surgery performed in early January, a procedure later revealed to be a full meniscus repair rather than a simple trim by the esteemed Dr. Neal ElAttrache.
However, in response to the trade’s collapse, Crosby’s agent, CJ LaBoy, took to X on Tuesday night to push back against the medical narrative surrounding his client.
‘Maxx continues to be on track in his recovery and if anything is ahead of schedule according to his surgeon Dr. Neal ElAttrache,’ LaBoy posted.
The agent insisted that Crosby remains on track to return during the offseason program and will ‘undoubtedly return as the dominant game wrecker he has been.’
Just moments before his agent’s statement, Crosby himself took to Instagram, posting a cryptic photo from inside what appeared to be a private jet.
Furthermore, Rapoport on Wednesday morning quoted a source close to Crosby saying that he ‘looks great and feels great’.
The wording of the statement on Tuesday night from the Raiders was fascinating, too. They didn’t say Crosby failed a physical, as was soon to be reported. They said the Ravens ‘backed out of the deal’.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Raiders have already received calls from ‘several’ teams inquiring about Crosby’s availability following the Baltimore news.
Crosby’s agent, CJ LaBoy, took to X on Tuesday night to push back against the medical narrative surrounding his client
He underwent knee surgery over the winter and that is said to be the reason for the decision
Crosby posted a cryptic photo onto his Instagram account shortly after the news broke
While Schefter reports that the Raiders are currently ‘prepared’ to get Crosby healthy and have him play in Las Vegas, they are actively ‘listening’ to other offers.
Any hopes of a bidding war re-igniting in Dallas have been swiftly extinguished by reports that the Cowboys are no longer interested in the Raiders’ star.
Jane Slater of NFL Network confirmed the stance, with a team source stating they have ‘moved on’ after finalizing a trade for edge rusher Rashan Gary on Monday.
Jerry Jones was originally the Ravens’ stiffest competition, having offered the No. 12 overall pick and a 2027 second-rounder before the medical red flags surfaced.
The Philadelphia Eagles remain a high-profile option, as Howie Roseman is still thin at edge depth and could restructure contracts to fit Crosby’s $30.7 million cap hit.
The Chicago Bears, armed with over $70 million in cap space, also have a massive need for a pass rusher to pair with Montez Sweat on their defensive front.
Over the weekend, Crosby had opened up about his excitement to join the Ravens for 2026
Las Vegas was due to receive two first-round picks for one of the NFL’s best defensive ends
Eric DeCosta is the Baltimore Ravens general manager, who has made the big Crosby decision
A homecoming for the Michigan native remains a theory among insiders, as the Detroit Lions look to bolster a pass rush that struggled for consistency last season.
Meanwhile, returning to a team after a 13-minute goodbye video is a psychological hurdle few players navigate, especially when the star was already ‘disgruntled.’
General Manager John Spytek has clearly shifted the Raiders into an all-out rebuild mode, positioned to take Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 overall pick.
The Raiders went on a $281.5million spending spree when free agency opened on Monday, too, orchestrated in part by minority owner Tom Brady, who is actively involved in the team’s rebuild.
The headline arrival was the addition of former Raiders center Tyler Linderbaum, while defensive reinforcements for the anticipated post-Crosby era came in the likes of Kwity Paye, Nakobe Dean and Quay Walker.
Do they now line up with Crosby in 2026? The next moves are going to be fascinating.