The blockbuster trade sending Maxx Crosby to the Baltimore Ravens may be dead, but the war of words over why it collapsed is just getting started. After an NFL insider shared new details about the failed deal, Crosby’s agent quickly fired back on social media with a blunt two-word response.

“False News,” Crosby’s agent, CJ LaBoy, replied to a post on X by NFL insider Dianna Russini about the financial side of the failed trade.

It’s still unclear which part of the post CJ LaBoy was calling false. Meanwhile, the X post suggested that a high-paying contract adjustment was always expected if the trade had gone through.

“As part of the proposed trade for Maxx Crosby, the Ravens were also prepared to sign him to a revised contract that would have paid him near the top of the pass rusher market,” Russini had earlier shared an update on X: “Had that deal gone through, it would have also made signing Trey Hendrickson VERY difficult.”

However, many expected Crosby’s contract to change if the Baltimore Ravens had acquired him. Baltimore would have taken on the remaining years of his current deal, but a revised contract was widely expected if the trade went through. Several reports suggested the Ravens were prepared to adjust Crosby’s contract near the top of the edge rusher market, though the exact financial structure of a potential extension was never finalized.

The Las Vegas Raiders have confirmed that the trade talks had ended after the Ravens stepped away from the deal. Baltimore was reportedly ready to give two first-round picks to Las Vegas for Crosby.

“The Baltimore Ravens have backed out of our trade agreement for Maxx Crosby. We will have no further comment at this time,” the Raiders said in a statement, as reported by Pro Football Rumors.

According to earlier reporting from Russini, Baltimore’s decision came after Crosby failed his physical. The star defender is currently recovering from knee surgery. He underwent surgery in January to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee. Trades are not finalized until players pass their physical.

However, Crosby’s agent insists his recovery is going well.

“Maxx Crosby’s agent, CJ LaBoy, posted this message on social media,” Adam Schefter shared the progress report on Crosby, according to LaBoy. “Maxx continues to be on track in his recovery, and if anything is ahead of schedule, according to his surgeon, Dr. Neal El Attrache. Maxx remains on track to return during the offseason program & will undoubtedly return as the dominant game wrecker he has been these past 7 seasons.”

Over his seven-season career, Crosby has recorded more than 400 tackles and 69.5 sacks while earning five Pro Bowl selections. Still, his future with the Raiders remains uncertain.

Crosby reportedly wanted a trade after the team shut him down for the final two games of the season, and it’s unclear whether the relationship between the star defender and the franchise can fully recover.

The Baltimore Ravens signed Trey Hendrickson in free agency

With the blockbuster trade for Crosby officially dead, Ravens GM Eric DeCosta didn’t wait long to pivot, quickly securing a different Pro Bowl pass rusher to bolster the defense by signing Trey Hendrickson from the Cincinnati Bengals.

The Ravens and Hendrickson agreed to a four-year, $112 million contract, carrying an average annual salary of $28 million and a $20 million signing bonus.

Baltimore General Manager Eric DeCosta later explained how Hendrickson became a key target as the Ravens explored ways to strengthen their pass rush.

“We came to a point, probably after we lost Tyler, where as we’re trying to find the best way for us to get better as a football team, Trey kind of made a lot of sense as a possible guy to look at,” DeCosta said, “So we started some discussions with he and his agent, thinking that potentially we’d have two pass rushers on the defensive line.”

The New Orleans Saints drafted Hendrickson in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft. During his career, he has played for both the Saints and the Bengals.

So far, he has recorded 236 tackles and 81 sacks in his NFL career. The veteran defensive end made the Pro Bowl four straight times from 2021 to 2024. However, he appeared in only seven games last season before a hip/pelvis injury landed him on injured reserve.

Last offseason, Hendrickson requested a trade from Cincinnati and skipped organized team activities, the mandatory minicamp, and the start of training camp. Eventually, he received a $14 million raise, which pushed the maximum value of his deal to $30 million for the season.

The Bengals chose not to place the franchise tag on him this month, allowing him to hit the open market. Hendrickson now joins the very team that was pursuing his AFC rival. However, after losing key players and missing out on acquiring Crosby, the Ravens will face pressure to continue building a roster capable of maintaining their elite defense.