Following a blockbuster trade, a failed physical, and a very public dumping, the experience in Baltimore was not positive for five-time Pro Bowl DE Maxx Crosby. And while the defensive edge firmly believes “no one will ever admit what the real truth is,” his longtime partner and wife, Rachel, is not staying quiet about it.

The Raiders and the Ravens agreed to trade Crosby to Baltimore in exchange for two first-round picks. A few days later, Las Vegas released a statement saying that Baltimore had backed out of the agreement without any explanation. The announcement triggered more questions than answers, and Rachel responded by liking Speakeasy talk show’s Instagram reel about the mistreatment Crosby endured.

“Unacceptable. The NFL should look into this. They look into everything else with these players,” LeSean McCoy said on the show. “They need to do the same thing for these owners and GMs. That is unacceptable.” 

The Ravens cited medical concerns tied to Maxx Crosby’s physical as the reason the trade collapsed. That is the grey area they have chosen to operate in, and it is a legal one. The NFL has no grounds to penalize a team for voiding a deal after a player fails a physical, and Baltimore has used that protection more than once.

“This is not the first time a failed physical has scuttled a deal on the Ravens’ end. It happened in 2018 when the Ravens agreed to terms with FA WR Ryan Grant, but didn’t go through with signing him because of an ankle issue. It happened again with Michael Brockers in 2020,” Senior staff writer for The Athletic, Jeff Zrebiec, highlighted on X.

But what set this situation apart was not just the front-office decision. The Ravens were not simply cautious with Crosby. They were cold. When Crosby made the trip to the Ravens’ facility, the organization gave him the opposite of a welcome. 

McCoy pointed out the same. When a new player visits a team, the entire organization typically buzzes with energy and excitement. Front office staff, coaches, and personnel all usually rush to make a strong first impression. Crosby got none of that. 

He waited for five hours before Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta came to see him. And while Crosby waited inside that building, the Ravens were already in active talks with pass rusher Trey Hendrickson, whom they signed the very next morning.

“Crosby was there, not knowing that he was a dead man walking,” NFL insider Dianna Russini revealed.

For Crosby and Rachel, this was a genuinely painful stretch. But the Raiders’ defensive end is not looking backward. He is heading into the next chapter with a different kind of fire after that miserable fallout.

Maxx Crosby opens up about the failed trade

When DeCosta finally sat down with Crosby to deliver the news, he told him the organization had serious concerns about the knee Crosby had injured in Week 7 of last season. The news hit Crosby hard, and by his own account, he did not take it calmly.

“So it just kind of hit me. I’m like, what the f–k? Is there something wrong? Like, I’m freaking out,” Crosby said on the Rush. “Like, low key and deep down. I’m like, ‘I can’t get another surgery.’ My timeline, this is f–ked up. So I’m f–king like ‘What is going on, bro?'”

Maxx Crosby had torn his meniscus during the season and underwent surgery performed by renowned orthopedic surgeon Dr. Neal ElAttrache. According to his agent, CJ LaBoy, Crosby is currently ahead of schedule in his rehabilitation and will be ready to suit up when the next season begins. And Crosby has made his peace with how it all played out.

“Ultimately, it doesn’t matter. I am where I’m supposed to be,” Crosby said on The Rush. “I’m here. I’m meant to be a Raider. In this for life, until that changes, which I don’t foresee, but you never know.”

Even so, the trade speculation has not gone away. Crosby remains in Las Vegas, but league sources indicate that several teams are still very much interested in acquiring the five-time Pro Bowl pass rusher.