It Is Clear What Really Happened to the Raiders-Ravens Deal for Maxx Crosby

The NFL World was buzzing when they got the news that the Las Vegas Raiders were trading the best defensive player in the National Football League, Maxx Crosby.

When it is the offseason and one of the best players in the league gets traded, everyone is talking about it and how every team is impacted by this move. It was a game-changer for sure, until it was not.

spyte — Feb 10, 2026; Henderson, NV, USA; Las Vegas Raiders general manager John Spytek at press conference at Intermountain Health Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Raiders finally made the trade that had been talked about for some time now. The more time that passed, it felt like it was not going to happen, but at the end of the day, these things happen in the NFL, and we have seen it before. It made sense for both sides.

Then it all changed, and we saw something that we do not see a lot of the time when trades like this happen, especially when it involves a player like Crosby and picks that the Raiders were getting.

Sep 15, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby (98) celebrates after a sack during the second half against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images | Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images

Crosby is going to the Baltimore Ravens, where he is going to be able to play for a contender and have the best chance to play in meaningful games. For the Raiders, they have more picks to kickstart their rebuild.

That all lasted only a few days, and the Ravens shocked the NFL world again when they backed out of the trade with the Raiders. The Raiders now have Crosby back , and the Ravens got their picks back. It was all because the Ravens failed Crosby's physical, and they did not like what they saw. But others feel like it was all business, and the Ravens knew exactly what they were doing the whole time.

Sep 15, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby (98) celebrates after a sack during the first half against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images | Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images

Aqib Talib Speaks on Raiders-Ravens Trade Gone Bad

"Let me tell you how it went down," said former NFL player Aqib Talib on The Arena: Gridiron. "Trey Hendrickson said my number is $40 million. He put it out there, and his agent did too... The Ravens like Crosby, they like Hendrickson, but they do not like the $40 milion number. They trade for Crosby ... Then a day or two go by, and Hendrickson, nobody is willing to pay that $40 million ... That number is down. Then word is that that number is now $30 million."

"So now the Ravens are like we can get Hendrickson for $30 million and keep their first round picks draft picks. They back out of the trade and go get Hendrickson. It is a business move if you ask me. There are never feelings in this football s***

.@AqibTalib21 explains what REALLY happened with Maxx Crosby and the Ravens 👀 pic.twitter.com/bQFV3RPG54
— The Arena: Gridiron (@ArenaGridiron) March 13, 2026