HENDERSON, Nev. — Maxx is back. But for how long?
Max Crosby’s stay with the Baltimore Ravens was short-lived. The Raiders traded two No. 1 draft picks on Monday, but the deal was canceled after the Ravens backed out of the agreement.
The Raiders announced the news on the team’s website but had no further comment.
ESPN.com reported that the Ravens withdrew due to concerns about Crosby’s condition.
Crosby, 28, is set to undergo knee surgery after missing the final two games of the 2025 season. He’s not interested in being part of another rebuilding and coaching philosophy.
General manager John Spytek accommodated him, or thought he did, by sending him to the Ravens, who were philosophically moving in a different direction after firing longtime coach John Harbaugh.
Spytek will now have to revisit the conversations he had before agreeing to a deal with Baltimore. Whether the team will meet his asking price for two first-round picks may not happen this time.
The timing is also bad, as it occurs on the day after free agency begins, allowing teams to sign players and spend their available salary cap. Finding a team that can meet the Raiders’ requirements may not be that easy.
The Raiders reportedly held discussions with the Dallas Cowboys and Chicago Bears before reaching an agreement with the Ravens. Those teams may no longer be interested or able to meet the Raiders’ demands for Crosby, a fourth-round pick out of Eastern Michigan in 2019 who was a five-time Pro Bowl rusher and considered an elite defender.
So Spytek has to start over and try to salvage something to impress his talented but often injured star.