Maxx Crosby is sharing what went down during his physical examination in Baltimore that led the Ravens to back out of their blockbuster trade for the five-time Pro Bowler.
On a Tuesday episode of “The Rush with Maxx Crosby,” the Las Vegas Raiders star said he was “terrified” when Ravens executives first told him the results of his physical raised concerns with team doctors. Ultimately, the Ravens last week backed out of a trade agreement that would have sent two first-round picks to the Raiders, citing a failed physical.
Crosby said he reported to the Ravens facility on March 10 and went through routine physical testing with the team, including MRIs, X-Rays and other tests that Crosby was familiar with. Crosby, 28, had surgery in January to repair a torn meniscus in his knee, though the injury wasn’t expected to impact his availability for the 2026 season, and teams had consulted with his medical team prior to making trade offers.
Crosby said he did not meet with new Ravens head coach Jesse Minter until after his physical. On meeting GM Eric DeCosta, Crosby said: “I didn’t get to see the GM at all. I thought I was gonna see him when I first got there. I didn’t see him for five hours.”
“I don’t know why. I am not gonna speculate,” Crosby said. “I even asked, ‘Where’s Eric (DeCosta)?’ You know what I mean? He just made the trade. I didn’t see him for five hours.”
When he met with Minter, Crosby said he could immediately feel something was off. During that meeting, the Ravens told him one of their doctors had concerns about his knee and what it meant for his future.
“I’m so excited, fired up. This is a new opportunity, and you could just tell the energy was off. I dapped (Minter) up, he had a blank face,” Crosby said. “(DeCosta) was standing the hall, in the room next to me to the right. And that was the first time I seen him.”
Crosby said the Ravens told him they were going to get more opinions on the results of his physical and get back to him on a decision. Crosby then left the facility and headed to his hotel, calling both his agent, CJ LaBoy, and surgeon, Neal ElAttrache.
“The first thought in my head, I was terrified,” Crosby said. “It just kind of hit me, like, what the f—? Is there something wrong? I’m freaking out. Lowkey and deep down, I’m like, I can’t get another surgery.”
In the hours that followed, Crosby said he took a nap and had dinner with his wife, Rachel. He said he received a call from a Ravens employee who told him they were trying to work the deal out, but minutes later, LaBoy called to tell him the Ravens were backing out.
“I’m frozen. I’m like, ‘What the f—,” Crosby said. “I’m f—ing livid, confused, the whole nine all in one. And so I told (LaBoy), ‘I’m trying to get out of here.’”
Crosby said he packed and flew back to Las Vegas that evening. He got home a little after midnight, and the next day, he woke up at 4:45 a.m. as usual to head back to the Raiders facility to train.
“I wasn’t supposed to be in Baltimore, and that’s it,” he said. “I’m meant to be a Raider. It’s through my damn core.”
Also on Wednesday, DeCosta met with reporters in Baltimore, saying that he was “gutted” to have to back out of the trade, but that he had to act in the best interests of the Ravens.
“We were really excited about essentially adding Maxx to our team,” DeCosta said, calling Crosby one of his favorite players in the league. “It’s devastating for me to have that conversation. It’s also very, very hard for the player.”