Ravens Back Out of Maxx Crosby Trade Over Degenerative Knee Condition
The Baltimore Ravens cancelled their trade for Maxx Crosby due to concerns over his degenerative knee issue, opting instead to sign Trey Hendrickson as their new edge rusher.
The Baltimore Ravens cancelled their deal to acquire Maxx Crosby from the Las Vegas Raiders after discovering the star edge rusher has a "degenerative knee issue" that extends well beyond the 2026 season, ESPN reported Tuesday.
The revelation explains what had been a mystery since Baltimore pulled the plug on the trade: why the Ravens walked away from a five-time Pro Bowler they had already agreed to acquire for two first-round picks, including the 14th overall selection in the 2026 NFL Draft.
The Medical Red Flag
Crosby underwent surgery on a meniscus tear in his left knee in early January. Though he played through the injury during the second half of the 2025 season, offseason surgery was always planned.
Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta acknowledged the team's due diligence but stopped short of detailing the specific findings: "We did that, and we were not able to complete the process of acquiring the player based on our assessment of the situation."
League Pushback
The decision provoked backlash from around the NFL. One executive questioned whether the Ravens' medical concerns were legitimate, given they knew about the knee surgery beforehand.
"Whatever they saw [in their medical exam] better be career-threatening, otherwise you don't do this," the executive told Fox Sports. "They knew something was wrong with his knee. He just had surgery to get it fixed. It really feels like they had some other reason for wanting out of this deal."
Crosby's Camp Fires Back
Crosby's agent and surgeon pushed back hard against the implied severity of his condition.
"Maxx continues to be on track in his recovery and if anything is ahead of schedule according to his surgeon Dr Neal El Attrache," agent CJ Labot wrote. "Maxx remains on track to return during the offseason program & will undoubtedly return as the dominant game wrecker he has been these past 7 seasons."
Dr. Neal ElAttrache added that Crosby is "doing very well in the early part of his rehab" and "feels very well and is already much improved compared to before surgery."
Ravens Move On
Rather than wait for Crosby's availability, Baltimore pivoted immediately. The team signed edge rusher Trey Hendrickson to a four-year deal just one day after cancelling the Crosby trade, providing an alternative impact pass rusher for the 2026 season and beyond.
