Did the Ravens Inadvertently Create the NFL’s Next Defensive Player of the Year?

Before the Cleveland Browns decided to chip in towards the Los Angeles Rams next Super Bowl title run by sending them Myles Garrett, the biggest NFL trade this season was one that never came to fruition.

The Baltimore Ravens and Las Vegas Raiders had agreed on a deal that would have seen Maxx Crosby traded for two first round picks. Of course, everybody knows by now that the move fell apart when Baltimore backed out of the agreement for medical reasons.

Now, one former Raider believes this will only add fuel to the inextinguishable fire that burns inside Crosby, who by the way is still talked about as a trade target around the league with roughly two months to go until the start of the regular season.

Six-time Pro Bowler Gerald McCoy, who last played in the NFL in 2021 for the Raiders, stated recently that he ”wouldn't be surprised if he's a Defensive Player of the Year finalist or if he wins it."

"Maxx has a little of the [Michael] Jordan syndrome," said McCoy to Rotogrinders. "He creates these things in his head to motivate him. People love Maxx. Pretty much everybody loves Maxx. I don't know anybody that doesn't love Maxx. But in his mind, people are doubting him. I don't think there's a soul on earth that watches the game of football and says, 'You know what? The person to doubt is Maxx Crosby.' I don't think that happens.

"But in Maxx's mind, they're doubting him. 'They don't think I'm the best. They think this guy is the best. I was a fourth-round pick.' All of these different things run through his head and give him motivation, and it's a conduit."

The fact that the team where he is currently the face of the franchise was ready to ship him away, and then the buying club issued a “thanks, but no thanks,” will only exacerbate those feelings in Crosby, according to McCoy.

"You trade him. That's the guy we're going to trade? OK. And then that team says, 'Eh, I'm not really sure about the knee, let's send him back.' So both of y'all said nope and nope. Cool, well I've got something for both of y'all."

Who will Maxx Crosby play for in 2026?

The story likely doesn’t end there. After being relinquished twice in a matter of days already this offseason, rumors are once again gaining traction that the Raiders will move on from Crosby, with the San Francisco 49ers and Philadelphia Eagles being mentioned as candidates.

Crosby himself seems to be fanning the flames on a potential trade, after posting a few days ago: “STOP PEOPLE PLEASING. HANDLE BUSINESS ACCORDINGLY.”

STOP PEOPLE PLEASING.

HANDLE BUSINESS ACCORDINGLY.

🦅💎
— Maxx Crosby (@CrosbyMaxx) June 26, 2026

And when a young Niners fan asked Crosby recently to join San Francisco, the five-time Pro Bowler did warn that "You never know."

A young 49ers fan tried to recruit Maxx Crosby to San Francisco.

Young fan: "Will you please... join the 49ers?" 🥹

Maxx Crosby: "I can't."

🎥: @vegasraiderdad pic.twitter.com/kJZkSmY9Ix
— Vegas Sports Today (@VegasSportsTD) June 30, 2026

The handling of business that Crosby is referring to sounds like settling the score with whomever shows up on the field, and if it happens to be Baltimore and/or Las Vegas, the better -- should he indeed get traded in the near future.

"It's not only going to motivate himself to prove he still is who he is, but also to his organization and everybody across the NFL,” noted McCoy. “So I would expect a huge year for Maxx.”

Crosby recently told reporters at Raiders’ OTAs that the whole Baltimore ordeal was a thing of the past, saying “I don’t really want to talk about that, to be honest. It’s water under the bridge, that’s a long time ago.”

Yet, McCoy’s theory completely contradicts that assertion.

If McCoy happens to be right, Crosby will be in full "Mad Maxx" mode this season, with a high likelihood of a career year regardless of the uniform he’s wearing. And everything might be eventually traced back to the Ravens negating an agreed upon trade.

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