Prominent NFL Owner Defends Baltimore Ravens For Backing Out Of Maxx Crosby Trade

From Super Bowl favorites to offseason trade drama, it has been a wild 12 months for the Baltimore Ravens organization.

The Ravens went from being one missed field goal away from yet another postseason birth to firing the winningest head coach in their franchise's history. As traumatic, dramatic, and heart-wrenching as the end of the regular season and firing head coach Jim Harbaugh was, the Ravens front office will do what they can to stay competitive.

The Ravens have never been a franchise like the Dallas Cowboys. Baltimore has never prioritized clicks, marketing, brand image, and dollars over team success on the football field. The Ravens host true football culture. This is why seeing the Ravens front office trade for Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby shocking, but not surprising.

When the Ravens front office decided to back out of the trade before it became official almost 48 hours after initially agreeing to the trade, the internet exploded. Reports began to surface speculating why the Ravens actually backed out of the deal.

The Ravens had access to all the medical information they needed about Crosby, which left many around the NFL world bewildered that they would do something like this. Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is a hub for controversy, so he gave his opinion on the Ravens deciding to cancel the Crosby trade.

Jerry Jones defends Ravens front office

Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta pulled the trigger on trading for Raiders pass rusher Maxx Crosby in exchange for two first-round NFL Draft picks. Baltimore cited medical concerns over Crosby's recovery from a knee injury. Dr. Neal ElAttrache, Crosby's knee surgeon, made it clear to ESPN's Adam Schefter that Crosby in on track to play this season.

Crosby is coming off of a preseason that saw him sign a massive contract extension and a regular season that saw him rack up ten sacks despite dealing with the knee injury. Jones understands Eric DeCosta and the Ravens front office for their actions. Jones was present for the NFL Owners Meeting in Phoenix, Arizona where he spoke with the media.

"There’s no hidden item there — you’ve got to pass a physical. We’ve never completed an agreement until the player passes the physical. We would have had the same conditions with the physical. As you know, we were in on making an offer for him"
Jerry Jones

#Cowboys owner Jerry Jones defends the #Ravens for backing out of the Maxx Crosby trade:

“There’s no hidden item there — you’ve got to pass a physical. We’ve never completed an agreement until the player passes the physical. We would have had the same conditions with the… pic.twitter.com/n3cDnlmMts
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) April 1, 2026

Jones sympathizes with the Ravens for receiving a player who wasn't completely healthy. However, while there is some sort of framework across the league for what should be done during a physical, each team has their own set of team doctors that can pass or fail anyone they want for almost any reason.

There isn't a widespread protocol across the league for team physicals. The Ravens had the freewill to act however they wanted before the agreed trade became official days later.

Speculation suggests the Ravens, after agreeing to a Maxx Crosby trade, realized they could sign former Bengals pass rusher Trey Hendrickson without surrendering two first-round picks. DeCosta claimed to be working on bringing in both pass rushers together.

The Ravens sign Trey Hendrickson instead

The Ravens agreed to a contract with free agent Trey Hendrickson that included four years and up to $120 million. DeCosta was able to maintain the first-round picks he almost dealt to the Las Vegas Raiders and acquire a stud pass rusher.

The acquisition did not come without backlash and criticisms regarding managerial etiquette, but the Ravens have weathered the storm and have moved forward with their offseason.

Jones is no stranger to weathering media whirlwinds. Jones held out on trading star pass rusher Micah Parsons last season until shortly before the regular season started and almost enjoyed answering every question about Parsons for months on end, just like he did this afternoon regarding the Maxx Crosby situation.