Maxx Crosby opens up on nixed trade to Ravens: ‘I wasn’t supposed to be in Baltimore’

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Maxx Crosby arrived in Owings Mills last Tuesday morning, sure he was about to become a Raven. He flew home to Las Vegas later that night, wondering what had gone wrong.

The five-time Pro Bowl defensive end, whom the Las Vegas Raiders were prepared to trade to the Ravens last week in exchange for two first-round picks, recounted his five-day trade saga on his podcast Tuesday, saying he was “livid” and “confused” after the trade fell through over medical concerns.

“That whole situation was probably one of the most unique, crazy, wild, up-and-down roller coaster[s] that I’ve ever been a part of,” Crosby said Tuesday on “The Rush,” his first extensive comments since the Ravens backed out of the deal last Tuesday.

Crosby said he was “in shock” after learning that the Ravens had agreed to trade for him on March 6. They’d never dealt a first-round pick for a veteran in franchise history, and they’d be giving up the No. 14 overall pick in next month’s draft and their top pick in 2027 to acquire Crosby, one of the NFL’s most well-rounded edge rushers.

After speaking with general manager Eric DeCosta and coach Jesse Minter on the phone, he said he sat in his car for a half hour, processing the news.

“Holy shit, bro,” Crosby recalled thinking. “This is crazy.” He added: “I couldn’t even feel my body, bro.”

Crosby said he flew with his wife from Las Vegas to a Washington-area airport that Monday, the first day of the NFL’s legal tampering period, and then drove to Baltimore.

The next day, he said, was a “long-ass day.” He met with some coaches and players at the team facility in Owings Mills, then left for imaging at a nearby facility. He said he underwent tests on his shoulder, ankle, knees and hands. Just over two months earlier, Crosby’d had surgery to repair the meniscus in his knee.

Crosby said he didn’t meet with Minter until near the end of his five-hour day with the team. When they embraced, Crosby could tell something was amiss. “You could just tell the energy was a little bit off,” he said.

Minter had a “blank face” as Crosby took a seat.

“Man, I don’t know how to say this, but one of our doctors has concerns with the results and whatever with your knee,” Crosby recalled being told. “Some of them are concerned about the future. … We know we really want you, and this is what it is, but we’re just going to have to get more and more opinions.”

Crosby said he was “terrified” after hearing the news. “I’m thinking in my head, like, ‘What the f--?’”

Crosby said he left the facility and returned to the hotel. He said he spoke with Dr. Neal ElAttrache, the renowned orthopedic surgeon who had operated on Crosby’s meniscus.

“Maxx, don’t listen to any of that shit,” Crosby recalled ElAttrache telling him. “Your knee is great. You’re exactly where you’re supposed to be, or even ahead of schedule. You’re doing everything right.”

Crosby said he heard conflicting messages as the deal collapsed. One of his agents told him the Ravens would likely back out of the deal. A “Ravens guy,” whom Crosby did not identify, called to tell him not to worry. “We’re trying to figure this out,” Crosby recalled him saying. “We’re going to get this done.”

Five minutes later, however, one of Crosby’s agents called to tell him that the Ravens had backed out of the deal.

“Everyone’s got their own theory, conspiracy theory,” Crosby said. “No one really will ever admit, on either side, what the real truth is or whatever. And ultimately, it doesn’t even matter. I am where I’m supposed to be. I know that. I’ll just say that.”

By the following morning, the Ravens had agreed to a four-year, $112 million deal with Pro Bowl defensive end Trey Hendrickson. DeCosta did not comment directly on Crosby’s condition last Wednesday, saying only that the Ravens were “not able to complete the process of acquiring the player based on our assessment of the situation.”

DeCosta called Crosby one of his favorite NFL players and said there was “nobody more disappointed than me” in the trade falling through.

“Tough, tough situation, but I think for the Ravens, [it’s] the right situation,” he said. “My role as GM and Jesse’s role as head coach and Sashi [Brown]’s role as president [are to be] stewards of the organization, and we have to make tough calls. And this was certainly a tough call to make.”

Crosby and his wife flew back to Las Vegas on the night the trade fell apart. He said he slept for “maybe four hours” before waking up and heading to the Raiders’ facility for a workout. Crosby said he had a “lot of disagreements with certain people,” but did not elaborate on his frustrations.

“Everything happens for a reason, truly,” he said. “You can’t control that. You could’ve never predicted that. … I didn’t know what to say, but I’m like, ‘I’m not letting nobody knock my shine and make me feel weird.’ I’m like, ‘Bro, shit happens for a reason. I know exactly who I am. I’m healthy. I’m f---- crushing my rehab. I’m doing what I’m doing.’ I wasn’t supposed to be in Baltimore, and that’s it. I’m meant to be a Raider. It’s through my damn core.”

This story has been updated.