NFL Teams Must Learn Lessons from Raiders' Maxx Crosby Saga

There have been a lot of talks about the whole Maxx Crosby trade saga that did not end up happening over the last few weeks. Here is what teams need to learn from it.

Jan 5, 2026; Inglewood, California, USA; Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby (left) and wife Rachel Washburn attend the game between the Golden State Warriors and the LA Clippers at the Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Not only were the Las Vegas Raiders and the Baltimore Ravens at the forefront of this offseason with the Maxx Crosby trade saga that did not end up going down, but now the NFL is right in the mix, and all the other teams are.

That is because this is something that could change the landscape of how trades and deals go down in the future. What happened on the part of the Ravens and how they went about dealing with the trade with the Raiders was all wrong, and they did not do anything but help themselves.

Dec 14, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby (98) on the field after loss to the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

A lot of other teams around the NFL were not happy with how the whole situation went down. What the Raven did was all about them and not thinking about anything else. It affects more than just the Raiders, Maxx Crosby, or even themselves. Other teams were looking to make a trade for Crosby, and they did not get the best chance to do that because of the deal they offered the Raiders, and all the other teams thought the deal was done and sealed. That is far from what happened.

It sent shock waves around the league, and no one was happy with the Ravens. That could change things and how things will look at getting players now. This was not just another player. This was a player who was the best at his respective position and one of the best players in the NFL.

NFL Needs to Learn from Maxx Crosby Trade Saga

Dec 7, 2025; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby (98) on the field prior to a game against the Denver Broncos at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

And the things that the Raiders thought they acquired were huge, too. Just a bad look for the Ravens all around, and other teams are always going to think twice about making a deal with them now and in the future.

The NFL and all the teams are going to have to learn from this crazy situation, and they are going to make sure that this does not happen to them.

Sep 15, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby (98) celebrates with defensive tackle John Jenkins (95) after sacking Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (not pictured) during the second half at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images | Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images

"The Crosby thing changed everything," said Mike Florio on the Rich Eisen Show. "It is rare, if not unprecedented, for all the different pieces to happen the way they did. And when you look back on it, the one thing that I have been saying is the Raiders should have made damn sure that the physical was done before the negotiating window opened. So everyone would know, is this guy going to the Ravens or is he reverting to the Raiders?"

"It would have clearly affected how much money the Raiders spent on free agents. Something was off ... The whole thing was bizarre. And there are lessons to be learned by everyone in the NFL."

Sep 13, 2021; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby (98) against the Baltimore Ravens during Monday Night Football at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images