NFL
Last Friday, the Baltimore Ravens shocked the NFL, acquiring Maxx Crosby for 2 1st round picks from the Las Vegas Raiders. Everything was looking good for the trade to become official on the first day of the new league year. On Tuesday, Baltimore shocked everyone by pulling out of the trade for Maxx Crosby after an issue arose with Crosby’s physical. And the trade fell through, and the Ravens were able to get back their 1st-round picks in 2026 and 2027. Then, the day after, the Baltimore Ravens used their plan B by signing free agent pass rusher Trey Hendrickson.
Baltimore Ravens:
The Baltimore Ravens felt they had made the biggest offseason move at first when acquiring Maxx Crosby from the Raiders. Baltimore had originally given up 2 1st round picks to acquire Maxx Crosby to help the pass rush. Then, on Tuesday night, at the last moment, the Baltimore Ravens called the trade off before it became official. Before the trade became official, Crosby himself failed his physical after his knee was in question regarding his recovery. With this trade now void, the Ravens get back both of their 1st round picks in 2026 and 2027.
Then on Wednesday, the Ravens went to their plan B: pass rusher Trey Hendrickson. After missing out on Maxx Crosby, Trey Hendrickson became the #1 target for the Ravens for the pass rush. The Ravens pounced on Trey Hendrickson and signed him to an 112 million, over-4-year deal. The signing of Hendrickson will help the Ravens’ pass rush tremendously, as they had only 30 sacks. Baltimore, which struck out trying to get Maxx Crosby, came out with a nice consolation prize in the form of Trey Hendrickson. This move will help out the Ravens’ pass rush tremendously in 2026.
Las Vegas Raiders:
Las Vegas, on the other hand, loses both 1st round picks from the Ravens, but ended up keeping Maxx Crosby. In the end, this voided trade could be a blessing in disguise for the Raiders and Maxx Crosby. The Raiders, who have the 1st overall pick, will certainly select Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza as their franchise quarterback. They have also spent 242.1 million dollars on free agents, including a record deal on center Tyler Linderbaum. And adding Maxx Crosby back into the fray with a new coach, the Raiders could benefit from all this.
Throughout this process, the Las Vegas Raiders were looking towards the future, and now that future will include Maxx Crosby. Crosby, who thought he was going to Baltimore, will now have the opportunity to show Baltimore that they were in the wrong. Still, when healthy, Maxx Crosby is a pass rusher who can change ball games in the blink of an eye. Since 2019, Maxx Crosby has ranked 6th in total sacks, with 69.5. In 2026, Maxx Crosby will continue to add sacks to his already 69.5, thanks to his game-changing abilities.
Moving forward, the Baltimore Ravens and the Las Vegas Raiders want to put this whole Maxx Crosby fiasco behind them. Both teams now have a pass rusher who can be a game-changer for both of their squads. Both Maxx Crosby and Trey Hendrickson will be dominant for both of their teams in 2026 and beyond. Moving forward, the Ravens will need to be smarter about trade ideas when it comes to physicals and a player’s health. While the Raiders in 2026 will look to the future with a new head coach and a new quarterback. Overall, this will be a scenario the Ravens, the Raiders, and the NFL will seek to avoid in the future. Maybe next year the NFL will look to make rule changes regarding physicals that accompany trades.
