It’s safe to call the Ravens’ decision to back out of the trade for Raiders DE Maxx Crosby unprecedented. While trades and signings have fallen through before due to failed physicals, it’s never happened for a deal this big or a player this well-known. It’s a decision that will dramatically reshape the contours of the upcoming season. 

The natural question becomes — what’s next? 

Raiders Back To Square 1 With Crosby

The immediate consequence is that Crosby reverts back to the Raiders and the Ravens keep their draft picks. However, the dynamics that prompted Las Vegas to trade Crosby in the first place haven’t all gone away. Crosby was worn down by years of new regimes selling promises of success, only to cycle through constant rebuilds. He’s had five different head coaches and four different general managers, not including Tom Brady as a new powerful voice above either. 

The breaking point was when the Raiders shut Crosby down against his wishes at the end of last season. Reading between the lines from a few different reports, it seems like wellness coordinator Alex Guerrero — a Brady confidante who sparked political strife with the Patriots and has apparently done the same in Las Vegas — gave Crosby the impression that he was being placed on injured reserve to help the Raiders lock up the No. 1 pick. Tanking goes against everything Crosby stands for, and that fracture reportedly led him to ask owner Mark Davis for a trade. 

For their part, the Raiders were also open to a trade. In his first year, GM John Spytek consistently talked to reporters about how the team had a long road ahead of it and needed to execute a disciplined rebuild. That was at odds with former HC Pete Carroll and other stakeholders in 2025, who treated the season with more of a short-term outlook. With Carroll gone, Spytek has more authority to carry out his vision. Crosby is an outstanding player, but at 29 years old and with a lot of mileage, it’s a real question whether or not he’ll still be a valuable piece by the time the Raiders are ready to contend. 

Choosing to trade Crosby for picks to accelerate the rebuild made sense if the Raiders could get enough for him given his status as an accomplished, elite pass rusher. The trade from the Ravens seemed like it would do just that. But with that door closed, the Raiders essentially need to restart the whole process. 

What’s Las Vegas’ Next Move? 

It’s hard to confidently project how this situation plays out from here, but it feels clear that nothing will happen soon. The Raiders wanted to get a trade done before the start of the new league year to maximize their leverage. By listening to offers before the negotiating window opened, Las Vegas ensured the maximum number of bidders with the maximum firepower at their disposal. It was a good plan that was executed well — until it wasn’t. 

Now, some of the teams that were interested in Crosby have moved on to other contingencies or priorities. The Bills traded for WR D.J. Moore and just signed OLB Bradley Chubb to a sizable contract, eating up most of their financial flexibility. The Cowboys traded for Packers OLB Rashan Gary after coming in second for Crosby, and so far reports say they don’t intend to renege on that.

The Raiders still have a market for Crosby, but it involves fewer teams with less to give. The dynamic has flipped, too. It’s not an auction anymore with the Raiders holding the gavel. Instead, there’s blood in the water and the sharks are circling. 

Las Vegas has work to do to rebuild its leverage, especially with the stigma of a failed physical hanging over Crosby. The harsh reality is the Raiders will be hard-pressed to do better or even equal the package from the Ravens. You never want to say never in the NFL, but that would be an uphill battle. 

There are some silver linings here. The Raiders had nearly $100 million in cap space before trading Crosby. Even adding his $30 million back to the books leaves plenty of room to afford all the free agents they agreed to sign Monday and Tuesday. Las Vegas will not have to cancel any commitments of its own because of this situation. 

Crosby is also not forcing the issue. He has a genuinely good relationship with Davis and worked with the Raiders to keep things quiet so that their leverage wouldn’t be hurt. He should feel spurned by the Ravens as much as the Raiders do, and will likely continue to be easy to work with on a trade if that’s the course both sides want to take. 

The Raiders also have time. There are no looming contract deadlines or other constraints that would force urgency outside of the natural progression of the NFL calendar (the draft, training camp, Week 1, the trade deadline). The logical course of action for the Raiders is to stay patient, let the dust settle, let Crosby continue to rehab his knee and see how the re-emergent market takes shape. 

Could The Raiders Just…Keep Crosby? 

For the time being, that’s exactly what they’re going to have to do since he’s under contract. But it’s possible the idea of keeping Crosby for a while longer becomes more tangible. The Raiders had projected a sense that they would happily have kept him as an elite player unless they got elite value in return. As long as Crosby lets them, they can fall back on that card. 

The other wrinkle is the Raiders are a lot better today than they were when they made the trade last Friday. In the last few days, they’ve added C Tyler Linderbaum, LB Quay Walker, LB Nakobe Dean, DE Kwity Paye, WR Jalen Nailor and CB Taron Johnson. They also kept CB Eric Stokes and OLB Malcolm Koonce, and are still on track to draft Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 pick. Even subtracting the two firsts from Baltimore, they still have nine other draft picks this year to try and make improvements. 

Is that enough to convince Crosby to stay? He’s been intensely loyal to the Raiders for his whole career and it tore him up to be leaving, as evidenced by a 12-minute video he posted after the trade. He spent as much time apologizing to Raiders fans for not helping the team break through as he did talking about the Ravens. Would this rejection by Baltimore, and other teams by extension, push him back to Las Vegas with an even bigger chip on his shoulder? 

With this situation, it’s tough to rule anything out for sure. 

Which Teams Might Still Be Interested? 

Back in January, it was reported that due to Crosby’s knee surgery to repair his meniscus, it might make more sense for a trade timeline to align with the draft at the end of April since he would be most of the way through his rehab by then. With the new developments, that might be back on the table. The draft represents the next big potential deadline for the Raiders and interested teams. It’s the last chance for the Raiders to add picks to help their rebuild this year. From Crosby’s perspective, it’s the last milestone before he has to resign himself to playing in Las Vegas another season (or consider other, more drastic measures). 

The Raiders could still trade Crosby in August or ahead of the midseason trade deadline. If they’re dead set on trying to recoup as much of the value that they lost from Baltimore’s offer as possible, they could hold onto him for a while in the hope that a Super Bowl contender gets desperate. However, for the sake of simplicity, let’s assume they decide to honor Crosby’s trade request and move him by the draft as long as they get a first-round pick and some kind of sweetener, something like a late Day 2 pick, a couple mid-round selections or even a player. 

Back in February, there were 10 teams we examined as potential trade destinations for Crosby. The Bills and Cowboys are probably out, as well as the 49ers given their other moves this week. It’s fun to think about the Lions but they have too many other pending extensions to consider spending $30 million on Crosby when they’re already paying $45 million a year to Aidan Hutchinson. A trade for Crosby was never the type of move that was in the Bengals’ wheelhouse and certainly not now after their other free agent moves. 

Some other teams not mentioned in that article that also probably don’t make sense: the Commanders have signed three edge rushers along with a host of other free agents, and need to use draft picks to get younger. The Colts don’t have first-round picks after burning their powder on a trade for CB Sauce Gardner last season. And it’s doubtful the Raiders would trade Crosby inside the AFC West to the Chiefs, Chargers or Broncos. 

That still leaves a handful of potential suitors, though, especially if the Raiders are willing to accept a lower price. 

Chicago Bears

Upgrading along the defensive line is still a big need for the Bears. So far the team has had to focus more on replacing defections at safety, linebacker and center rather than meaningfully upgrading the pass rush. There’s not much cap space left to do more, and not many players left in free agency who present the potential to be substantial upgrades. Chicago’s options for improvement include the draft or just hoping for better results in 2026, whether it’s from development or better health. 

One of the original suitors for Crosby, there was a lot of buzz about a potential trade before things shifted. By the end, it didn’t seem like the Bears had the stomach for what the trade cost was going to be. Now that things have changed, it’s possible the team could re-enter the picture. If the price has dropped to a point where the Bears feel the risk is worth the upside, they make a ton of sense as a landing spot. 

The Bears have the No. 24 pick in the first round and could also include one of their secondary pass rushers like Dayo Odeyingbo or Austin Booker (the former would likely be preferable to clear $16 million in cash off the books). In return, they’d be adding a big force multiplier who’s a perfect fit in DC Dennis Allen’s defense. 

A first-round pick is still a steep cost, and the Bears would have to finagle Crosby’s contract onto their books. That said, they can create well over $30 million in cap space just by restructuring base salaries that have already been guaranteed, and more if they really want. The Bears are looking to go from a division win and playoff appearance to true blue Super Bowl contenders this year. Adding a piece like Crosby is the type of move teams that are trying to get over the hump tend to make. 

Philadelphia Eagles

Eagles GM Howie Roseman prides himself on how thorough his front office is on the trade market. Roseman’s worst nightmare is seeing a player he covets traded for a price he would have paid, so the Eagles are callers on just about every single player on the trade block regardless of how strong their actual interest is. They were connected to Crosby but this should contextualize that interest. 

But not only has Crosby’s trade value taken a shot below the water line, the Eagles have also been bruised during free agency. They hoped to retain OLB Jaelan Phillips after trading for him midseason, but instead he’s off to Carolina on a $30 million per year deal. It leaves the Eagles light at edge rusher with just Nolan Smith and Jalyx Hunt under contract — promising players, but not the firepower you’d like to have coming off the edge as a Super Bowl contender. 

A trade for Crosby would shift that balance back to where the Eagles are accustomed. They have nine picks this year, including extra selections in the third and fourth rounds, so if they deal their first at No. 23 overall, they still have some ammo to restock the roster with depth and cheap contributors. Fitting Crosby’s contract on their cap would be tight but not impossible, as long as they don’t trade WR A.J. Brown. 

Brown also gives them an interesting asset should his situation stretch into June along with Crosby’s. The Raiders need help at receiver around Mendoza, but Brown wouldn’t fit their competitive window any better than Crosby and the Raiders would want draft capital on top of Brown. But the Eagles could potentially get picks by trading Brown to another team that they could then turn around and reinvest into a trade for Crosby. It would make it easier to handle Crosby’s contract as well. This is a subject to file away for down the line if Crosby lingers in Las Vegas past the draft.  

Seattle Seahawks

The Seahawks expressed interest in trading for Crosby a year ago before the 2025 season, ultimately making different plans at edge rusher that proved to be successful enough to win a Super Bowl. They lost Boye Mafe in free agency but otherwise keep the rest of a strong group. On paper, it’s not a weakness that needs addressing. 

Still…

Seahawks GM John Schneider has not been afraid to swing big trades in the past, especially when his first-round picks are late in the round. Teams face a lot of natural headwinds and attrition when it comes to trying to repeat as Super Bowl champions, which is why it’s hard. Seattle is set up better than a lot of teams are, with most of its core returning. But perhaps the best way forward to another ring isn’t to trust in continuity, but to make an aggressive move in an effort to continue radically improving. 

Crosby’s relentless motor and all-around game would fit in perfectly with the Seahawks and make them the favorites to finish as the No. 1 defense again in 2026. And frankly, the odds of getting a player who contributes more than Crosby will with the No. 32 overall pick aren’t all that great. The Seahawks are one of the few teams that have the cap space to take on Crosby’s contract without much adjusting, and they actually are set to lose a few players on expiring deals after next season which will make edge rusher a much bigger need.

The more you examine it, the more it looks as if the Seahawks might be sneakily strong contenders as a trade fit for Crosby. 

New England Patriots

One of many insightful nuggets that came out about the Crosby trade from Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer (in a piece that’s since been overshadowed) was that the Raiders, and specifically Brady, wouldn’t have traded Crosby to the Patriots and HC Mike Vrabel if they could help it. That’s a factor to consider when evaluating New England as a potential destination. The Patriots have also been stingy when it comes to giving up substantial draft capital this offseason, declining to meet Philadelphia’s asking price for Brown despite how well he’d fit with the team and meet a major need. 

Still, the Patriots have said they view pass rusher as their biggest need this offseason, and they have the draft picks and cap space to make a trade for Crosby work. New England owns 11 picks, including the No. 31 selection in the first round. They signed Dre’Mont Jones in free agency and are bringing back Harold Landry, but those players are, respectfully, not in Crosby’s zip code in terms of impact. The Super Bowl exposed how far the Patriots have to go to truly contend for a title, and adding a player like Crosby is how you close the gap. 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The teams that miss out on addressing needs at edge rusher are the most likely to circle back to a potential Crosby trade down the line. The Buccaneers fit that description after making a run at signing Trey Hendrickson but losing out to the Ravens. They have not signed an edge rusher yet and the best options currently available include Joey Bosa, Jadeveon Clowney, Arnold Ebiketie and Von Miller — not the most inspiring group. 

Tampa Bay has tried repeatedly to upgrade the position the last couple of years as the defensive performance has regressed, and time might be running out for HC Todd Bowles to find a fix. That could prompt the Bucs to make an aggressive trade to try and solve the issue, with Crosby the top option. It would likely cost them their first-round pick at No. 15 overall, but Crosby offers more projectability than a rookie pass rusher in that range. 

Vikings OLB Jonathan Greenard looms as a trade alternative, with Minnesota seeking a Day 2 pick and Greenard looking for a new contract. He’s younger but also coming off an injury, and his salary demands might not be too far off from what Crosby is making now. For either move, the Buccaneers can make the financials work. They’re currently in the bottom third of the league in cap space but can restructure a ton of contracts to open up $30 million in room if they need.