Baltimore Ravens Axe Maxx Crosby Trade, Sign Trey Hendrickson
The NFL offseason and drama go together like spaghetti and meatballs, and this year’s helping was one that will be hard to top in seasons ahead.
Late Tuesday night, the shocking news came out that the Baltimore Ravens backed out of a trade that would have brought in Maxx Crosby from the Las Vegas Raiders in exchange for two first round picks (one in 2026, one in 2027).
In January, Crosby had surgery to fix a torn meniscus injury in his left knee, but he was expected to be ready to go at the start of the new season. According to league sources who spoke with ESPN, the Ravens had concerns about Crosby’s knee after completing the required physical and decided the risk wasn’t worth what they were giving up.
Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta decided to move quickly Wednesday morning and struck a four-year, $112 million free-agent deal that snagged Trey Hendrickson away from the division-rival Cincinnati Bengals. Of course, all of these actions were within the league’s rules since the trade couldn’t become official until Wednesday at 4 p.m. ET, but there are certainly questions – and whether some unwritten rules were stretched.
Much like companies out in the real world, the NFL is a business, and loopholes exist. Everyone knew about Crosby’s injury, and now we’re going to see a ton of TMZ-like interviews and press conferences in the days ahead. In the words of Bart Scott: “Can’t wait!”
Let’s take a look at what the switch-a-roo means for the Ravens, the Bengals, and the NFL as a whole.
What went wrong for Maxx Crosby and the Ravens?
Last season, Baltimore had only 30 sacks (tied for third-worst in the NFL) and the move for Crosby was expected to get this defense back to the days of the historic past, when guys like Ray Lewis and Ed Reed were leaving imprints of offensive players all over the grass. In seven NFL seasons, Crosby has amassed 69.5 sacks, including 10+ in three of the last four seasons, and his presence alone would elevate any team’s defense.
The Ravens had publicly acknowledged knowing about Crosby’s injury risk, making the sudden turnaround raise even more eyebrows. Crosby did have a remaining four-year, $116 million contract that the Ravens would have been on the hook for. After seeing some of the later free-agent signings that went down, it feels like Baltimore looked at the landscape and decided its first-round picks the next two seasons were more appealing.
Trey Hendrickson stays in AFC North with Baltimore
Believe it or not, the Ravens were actually interested in bringing in Crosby AND Hendrickson to create an absolute superpower up front on their defensive line. Hendrickson, who is considered to be a notch under Crosby’s resume, has totaled 81 sacks over his nine-year career, including 17.5 in both the 2023 and 2024 seasons.
Hendrickson also comes with his set of worries, considering he only played in seven games last season due to back, hip, and pelvis injuries throughout last season. Nevertheless, Hendrickson is still one of the NFL’s top pass rushers, and there’s plenty of familiarity with the AFC North from his five-year run with the Bengals.
What’s next for Maxx Crosby?
It was almost predetermined that Crosby was moving on from the Raiders, but his final landing destination was anyone’s guess. Now, we’re back on that path. The NFL offseason is the gift that keeps giving at all times of the year!
Teams like the Chicago Bears, Dallas Cowboys, New England Patriots, and Philadelphia Eagles were among the teams checking in on the five-time Pro Bowler, and now, they may have another shot to get Crosby. According to a few different betting sites, the Bears were the favorite to land Crosby, and it does seem like that avenue is still open.
There’s also the possibility that Crosby stays in Sin City! The Raiders do have the No. 1 overall pick, which will likely be used on Indiana Hoosiers standout QB Fernando Mendoza, and just snagged All-Pro center Tyler Linderbaum away from the Ravens a couple of days ago. Oh, the irony.
