The Las Vegas Raiders traded star edge rusher Maxx Crosby to the Baltimore Ravens on March 6, but the Ravens backed out of the deal four days later.
The Las Vegas Raiders have completely revamped its roster from top to bottom after a rough 2025 season but an unexpected turn in early March changed the outlook of this team moving forward.
The Raiders were expected to trade star edge rusher Maxx Crosby after a disconnect formed late in the season. Crosby had a knee injury that required surgery but he wanted to play through it as there were only two weeks left, however the Raiders shut him down and it caused a divide between the two sides.
Crosby stopped communicating with the team and was seen on social media playing basketball and jumping on a trampoline with his daughter. The constant rebuilding, lack of direction and desire to win caused Crosby to privately request a trade behind the scenes following the conclusion of the 2025 season.
Many teams were interested in the five-time Pro Bowler and two-time second team All-Pro but Las Vegas agreed to send Crosby to the Baltimore Ravens in exchange for the 14th overall pick in this year’s National Football League draft and a first-round pick in the 2027 NFL draft on March 6, but just days later, the Ravens backed out of the deal one day before it would have been made official on March 11.
Crosby failed his physical and is still a Raider. Although he claims that situation is water under the bridge and he’s excited to be back and to get to work with this new group, he’s still a prime trade candidate this season.
A potential trade does become more interesting now, though. His $29 million salary for 2027 is fully guaranteed now, meaning the team that trades for him will take on $59 million in guaranteed money, according to ESPN’s Dan Graziano.
Graziano believes that kind of money for a player of Crosby’s caliber is justified, but he will be 29-years-old in August, which alters the kind of trade package the Raiders would get if it moved on.
“I wouldn't expect Crosby trade talk to heat up again until he gets on a field and shows he's healthy,” Graziano wrote Thursday. “And from everything I've been told, that could be in August or later.
“Crosby might stick with the Raiders all year at this point, but if he's going to get traded at all, we're probably looking at something in-season ahead of the deadline.”
Graziano listed four teams that could be interested in Crosby’s services: the Dallas Cowboys, Buffalo Bills, Chicago Bears and New England Patriots.
These teams were players in the Crosby sweepstakes a year ago but weren’t willing to offer the compensation that Baltimore was offering. Graziano thinks if any of these teams in contention need pass rush help, “things could get interesting here again.”
