Maxx Crosby experienced one of the messiest trade fallouts this season following a failed physical with the Ravens due to concerns over his left knee. Crosby addressed it head-on, saying, “No one will ever admit what the real truth is.” But while the fallout drew headlines for all the wrong reasons, it also handed him something worth celebrating.

Crosby recently posted a story showing off the YouTube Silver Play Button, the milestone award the platform sends to creators who cross 100,000 subscribers on their channel. The podcast is co-hosted by Darien Terrell and Brogan Roback, who is also the producer of his podcast, The Rush With Maxx Crosby.

“Look at what WE did!!!” read the text on the story posted with the silver button.

The Rush with Maxx Crosby was launched in 2023 under the Full Send banner. It features weekly episodes with Crosby, Roback, and Darien Terrell. What started as a passion project has turned into a genuine media property over time. At the time of writing, the YouTube channel has 108k subscribers and rising.

The channel’s latest video, “Back in the Silver and Black: Maxx Crosby Speaks,” crossed 229k views in just seven days. It has surpassed 37 million total views and continues to grow. Season 3 has featured guests including Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams and social media influencer Sara Safari.

Crosby used that platform to full effect to address the trade saga. On March 6, news broke that the Raiders had agreed to send Crosby to the Ravens in exchange for two first-round picks. He flew to Baltimore, took the facility tour, met with coaches, and prepared for what should have been a straightforward physical.

It was anything but. The Ravens flagged Crosby’s left knee. The Raiders issued a public statement saying the Ravens backed out with no explanation provided. Then Crosby put it all on the table in his podcast. 

He described how he waited hours at the Ravens facility before general manager Eric DeCosta came out to greet him. Meanwhile, NFL insider Dianna Russini of The Athletic reported that the Ravens were already in contact with Trey Hendrickson while Crosby was still sitting inside the building.

Baltimore signed Hendrickson to a four-year, $112 million deal less than 24 hours after the Crosby trade fell through. The speed of that move raised serious questions across the league. And for Crosby, the failed physical had already raised a separate, more pressing concern about his health and his market value.

Maxx Crosby’s performance will define how this trade saga ends

Maxx Crosby had undergone surgery to repair the torn meniscus in January, and he had been rehabbing the knee since. The failed test in Baltimore reignited doubts about his recovery timeline and long-term durability. His agent, CJ LaBoy, moved quickly to address those concerns publicly with a statement.

“Maxx continues to be on track in his recovery, and if anything is ahead of schedule, according to his surgeon, Dr. Neal El Attrache,” LaBoy said in his statement on X. “Maxx remains on track to return during the offseason program and will undoubtedly return as the dominant game wrecker he has been these past 7 seasons.”

Still, the situation around Crosby remains unsettled. He has said he feels like a Raider and that Las Vegas is where he belongs, but he also acknowledged that things can change in this league. Reports continue to suggest that a trade remains possible, but the failed physical has reset the timeline and the conditions under which a deal could realistically happen.

“If he’s going to be traded, I think it’s going to have to come after Maxx Crosby gets back on the field and plays really well,” Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated said on The MMQB NFL Podcast. “So people will forget about everything that just happened.”

So, if Crosby returns healthy, dominates off the edge the way he has for seven seasons, and puts the knee concerns to rest on the field, the league moves on fast. The five-time Pro Bowler becomes a hot trade commodity all over again. If the knee slows him down, the narratives from this offseason will follow him right into whatever comes next.