RAVENS BACK OUT OF MAXX CROSBY TRADE OVER KNEE CONCERNS

By Sports Team | Approved by Will Nichols, Editor in Chief | 3/11/2026

NFL is #33 on the FO Pulse (2026-07-24 close), down 3 from the previous close.

The Baltimore Ravens terminated their trade for Raiders pass rusher Maxx Crosby on Tuesday night after medical evaluations raised concerns about his left knee, which he had surgically repaired on Jan. 8. Despite agreeing to the deal on March 6 for two first-round picks, Baltimore's medical staff determined the risk was too high, marking the first time in franchise history the Ravens walked away from a veteran trade after the physical phase.

Key Points

Crosby underwent meniscus repair surgery on Jan. 8, 2026, just two months before the failed trade
Baltimore offered two first-round picks, including the No. 14 overall selection in the 2026 NFL Draft
The Ravens recorded only 30 sacks in 2025, their fewest in 15 years, driving the desperate trade attempt
Crosby posted 10 sacks and 28 tackles for loss despite managing the knee injury throughout the 2025 season
This is the first time in Ravens franchise history they attempted to trade first-round picks for a veteran defender

The Medical Examination That Changed Everything

The Ravens backed out due to medical concerns that arose during a physical Tuesday night, just 24 hours before trades become official. Crosby underwent surgery on the meniscus in his left knee on Jan. 8, and Ian Rapoport reports that Baltimore did not want to invest two first-round picks given what the Ravens' medical experts found during Crosby's examination.

This was not supposed to happen. The Ravens and Raiders originally agreed to a trade on March 6 that would send Crosby to Baltimore for two first-round picks, including the No. 14 overall pick in this year's NFL draft, but the trade couldn't be made official until the beginning of the new league year on Friday, March 11, at 3 p.m. CST.

Crosby posted a 13-minute video on his social media accounts on Saturday, bidding farewell to Las Vegas and expressing his excitement for his new journey with the Ravens. He posted on Instagram on Tuesday that he was in Baltimore. The man was already mentally moved.

The Numbers Behind Baltimore's Panic

Maxx Crosby signed a 3 year, $106,500,000 contract with the Las Vegas Raiders, including $91,500,000 guaranteed, and an average annual salary of $35,500,000. That makes him the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history.

Crosby posted 10 sacks and a career-high 28 tackles for loss, the second-most this past season behind Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett. Crosby put up these numbers despite missing the final two games of the regular season after undergoing meniscus repair surgery at the start of the new year.

"I played on it. As people watched, nobody knew my knee was torn. It's something that you can play with. It's just a management type deal. We knew about it all year, and so we managed, and I was able to go out there and do my thing."

Crosby, 28, significantly upgrades a struggling Ravens pass rush that in 2025 totaled 30 sacks, Baltimore's fewest in 15 years. They needed him badly enough to break franchise precedent.

The Franchise History That Makes This Brutal

This marks the first time in the Ravens' 31-year existence that they have used a first-round pick to trade for a veteran player. Baltimore had never previously traded a first-round pick—let alone two—for a veteran player.

The Ravens do not do this. Ever. Their entire organizational philosophy revolves around building through the draft, not buying veterans with premium picks. The Ravens are making this uncharacteristic offseason splash after a disappointing 2025 season in which they finished 8-9, failed to make the playoffs and fired longtime coach John Harbaugh. Baltimore has been looking for a game changer, such as Crosby, to get over the postseason hurdle and reach the Super Bowl for the first time since the 2012 season.

That desperation led them to break character. And now it led them to break character again by walking away.

Before the Ravens initially landed a trade for Crosby, the Cowboys and Jaguars were among the teams pursuing a deal for the veteran defensive end. Dallas was reportedly in it until the end, but was unwilling to give up multiple first-round picks, leading the Raiders to agree to trade Crosby to Baltimore.

The Counterargument: Smart Business

Maybe Baltimore got this exactly right. "Maxx Crosby had surgery to repair his meniscus right around the end of the season, and meniscus recoveries take 3-4 months," NFL Network's Ian Rapoport said after the news broke on Tuesday night. "… it appears the Ravens are just not comfortable with what they found during the medical exams for Maxx Crosby, so now the trade is off."

Crosby's knee problems began during the 2025 season. Las Vegas finished the year with a 3–14 record, one of the worst in the league, but Crosby remained the emotional and defensive leader of the roster. Playing through injury on a historically bad team shows heart. It also shows damage accumulation.

FOX Sports Insider Jordan Schultz reported an NFL general manager thinks the Ravens want to pounce on Trey Hendrickson's deflated market instead of paying the trade premium for Crosby. Translation: Baltimore might have found a cheaper path to the same result.

The Stakes Math Going Forward

The Raiders were set to meet Tuesday night to try to figure out their next steps, according to sources. It is unclear whether a Crosby trade can be revived in some form, but this puts the Raiders in a difficult situation due to all of the money they've already committed to outside free agents.

The Bengals have a Maxx Crosby trade back available after the Ravens backed out of their trade with the Raiders on Tuesday. Cincinnati makes sense. Division rival leverage, playoff-ready roster, and they understand what elite pass rush looks like after watching Trey Hendrickson for years.

The Ravens just proved that medical red flags can override any amount of desperation. Crosby will find another home, but Baltimore's reversal shows how quickly billion-dollar decisions can collapse under the weight of a bad knee scan.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did the Ravens back out of the Maxx Crosby trade?

During the physical examination on Tuesday night, Baltimore's medical team identified knee concerns related to Crosby's meniscus surgery from Jan. 8. The Ravens' medical staff did not want to commit two first-round picks given what they discovered during the evaluation.

When was the Crosby trade originally agreed to?

The Ravens and Raiders agreed to the trade on March 6, 2026. It was set to become official on Friday, March 11 at 3 p.m. CST when the new NFL league year began.

What are Maxx Crosby's contract details with the Raiders?

Crosby signed a 3-year, $106.5 million contract with Las Vegas, featuring $91.5 million guaranteed and an average annual salary of $35.5 million, making him the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history.

How did Crosby perform despite the knee injury?

Crosby recorded 10 sacks and a career-high 28 tackles for loss in 2025, the second-most in the league behind DPOY Myles Garrett, while managing a torn meniscus he played on throughout the season.

Is this the first time the Ravens have backed out of a veteran trade?

Yes. This marks the first time in the Ravens' 31-year franchise history that they have traded a first-round pick for a veteran player, and the first time they've walked away from such a deal after the medical phase.

Topics: wnba, nfl, panic, knee-injury, maxx-crosby, baltimore-ravens, las-vegas-raiders, nfl-trade