Maxx Crosby returns to the Las Vegas Raiders after a week that we can politely call an eventful year. On Tuesday, he finally provided his own account of the incident.
Speaking on his “The Rush” podcast days after the Baltimore Ravens rescinded his deal, Crosby went through the experience of almost joining an AFC North contender, only to be told that their doctors were concerned about the results of his physical.
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He did not hide the mark this journey left on him:
“I’ve been through some bad things in my life, I can’t lie, but this whole situation has been probably one of the most unique, craziest, wildest, most up-and-down roller coasters I’ve ever been on.”
The process began when Crosby traveled with his family from Las Vegas to Baltimore to join his new team. However, he encountered some problems with accommodation along the way:
“They took me to Washington because there weren’t a lot of flights – we were flying first class – they took me to Washington because it was the only nonstop flight, and after a five-hour flight, we had to drive two hours from Washington all the way to Baltimore, man. It was weak.”
These meetings usually include a meeting with the team’s top brass and a physical to confirm there are no issues with the player, before officially signing the contract. Strangely, however, neither Ravens head coach Jesse Minter nor Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta met with Crosby during the first five hours of the meeting.
When Crosby walked into the room with Minter and DeCosta was in the next room, he sensed something was wrong. Minter then told him bad news:
“You could tell the energy was gone. I gave him a pat and he had a blank look on his face. I said, ‘Okay.’ I didn’t think anything of it. Maybe he was just different. I didn’t know him, whatever.
“I walked into the room and they sat me down on the couch and he said, ‘Man, I don’t know how to say this, but one of our doctors is concerned about the outcome of your knee. Some of them are worried about the future… We really want you, that’s what it is, but we’ve got to get more and more opinions.'”
Maxx Crosby thinks he’ll be a member of the Ravens. (AP Photo/John McCoy)
(Associated Press)
Crosby said he was shocked by the news and immediately became concerned about the condition of his knee, which he had undergone meniscus repair surgery by Dr. Neil Elatlage earlier in the offseason. That knee has become a topic of controversy, with the Raiders closing Crosby against his will over concerns about the joint, leading to him wanting to be traded in the first place.
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He eventually called ElAttrache, who took him over the MRI results and assured him there was nothing wrong:
‘He calmed me down. He’s like Maxx, don’t listen to that shit. “He was like, ‘Your knees are great. You’re exactly where you’re supposed to be, even ahead of schedule.’ He’s like ‘You’re doing everything right.’ They know you had surgery nine weeks ago.
“He showed me actual written literature, like, ‘This is where the knee should be after a meniscus repair. MRIs can be misleading because it’s still fresh from surgery, et cetera.’ He was like, ‘Listen, you did everything right. Everything went great. We’re going to continue to stick to the plan.’ He said, ‘You’ll be back in training camp.’ ‘”
There were certainly talks between the Ravens and Raiders at the time, and the Ravens may have tried to negotiate a lower price due to their concerns. At one point, a member of the Ravens allegedly called Crosby to tell him the trade was still happening, only to get confirmation to the contrary minutes later:
“A guy from the Ravens called me and said, ‘Yo, we’re working on this. We’ll figure it out. Don’t worry about it.’ About five minutes later, C.J. called me and he said, ‘They’re quitting.’ ” I froze, and I thought to myself, “Oh my God, what the hell is this?” “I was angry, confused, nine all rolled into one.”
On the bright side, Cropsby said, the Ravens did fly back on a private jet.
A turn of events brought Crosby back to the Raiders, and the Ravens signed Trey Hendrickson, the top pass rusher on the free agent market, for less than Crosby’s contract. DeCosta insisted last week that the team was actually trying to acquire Crosby and Hendrickson.
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Crosby said last week that he was no longer trying to leave the Raiders and made his intentions very clear on Tuesday:
“S*** happens for a reason. I know exactly who I am. I’m healthy. I’m fucking crushing my recovery. I’m doing what I’m doing. I shouldn’t be in Baltimore, period. You know what I mean? I was destined to be a Raider. It’s through my fucking core. That’s it.”
“I’ve been in this asshole my whole life. Until this change — I couldn’t have foreseen it. Honestly, you never know in this damn league. I definitely found that out. I just felt like I was meant to be a Raider.”
