In theory, Maxx Crosby and the Las Vegas Raiders have been on the same page since the 2019 NFL draft. Reality would politely disagree. Having painfully sat through five losing seasons, just one playoff appearance, five head coaches, four GMs and countless roster rebuilds, Crosby’s patience was running thin. Now add to that his age, a concerning 28 considering the average retirement age of NFL players at 27.6, and the picture was clear: Crosby’s elite skillset was a sore mismatch for his underperforming team. And the Raiders’ latest 3-14 record didn’t do anything to contradict that.

Fans spent weeks hearing the veteran’s name in trade rumors since Super Bowl LX. In fact, Crosby’s close friend, training partner and Fox Sports’ NFL insider, Jay Glazer, went as far as to say that the defensive end was tired of going through “another rebuild”. But as fate would have it, Maxx Crosby won’t be required to do that anymore.

“The #Raiders are trading star edge Maxx Crosby to the #Ravens for pick No. 14 and additional compensation, per me and @TomPelissero,” NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport wrote on his X account. “A blockbuster. A new home for Crosby and a true rebuild for Las Vegas. #Raiders GM John Spytek just got off the phone with Maxx Crosby, informing him of the trade. The deal will be official when the league year begins.”

Notably, this comes barely two months after a semi-public “spat” between the defensive end and the team brought the controversy out in the open.

Ahead of the Raiders’ Week 17 clash versus the New York Giants, the difference in mindset was amply visible. For the organization, it was a high-stakes game between the two 2-13 teams to secure the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Meaning: They wouldn’t mind pulling out their best players from the game to get an upper hand. But for the overachieving defensive end, it was a gut punch. Head coach Pete Carroll confirmed that Crosby had essentially stormed out of the building when informed he would not play in the final two games of the season.

“He said, ‘I’d like to get out here,’ so I said, ‘Get out of here,’ and he took off,” Carroll reportedly informed about his player who had been on the injury report since Week 12 but played every game despite missing practice sessions. “It was exactly like you would think he would do, and he should do, and I agree with him a 1000 percent on how he responded.

“He’s been fighting it so hard for nine weeks. Each week he has done everything you could possibly imagine a guy could do to play, and he’s been able to. But after an evaluation we did Monday or Tuesday, it just looks too bad. He didn’t want to take the news like that. I didn’t want to take the news like that. So we just worked our way through to get to this point. If we’d have let him, he’d have been out there, and he would not have hesitated. But he knows he’s banged up.”

Though the official reason was tagged as the player’s nagging knee issue, Crosby’s statements just two days prior were pretty much self-explanatory.

“Yeah, I don’t give a s— about the pick, to be honest. I don’t play for that. My job is to be the best defensive end in the world,” Crosby told reporters

“That’s what I focus on every day, and being a great leader, and being an influence, and being that guy on a consistent basis for my team. The front office, the coaches, they do that. But that’s got nothing to do with me. I’ve learned that lesson in the past, you can’t control everything. That’s not my job description, my job is to be the best in the world at what I do.”

As for his current move to the Ravens, Crosby is yet to comment.

Right now, many expect the Raiders to pick Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the top pick. However, the roster needs help on the defensive line. Because of the Crosby deal, they now hold an extra first-round selection that could reshape their strategy.

They might stay at No. 14 and fill one of those roster gaps. They now also own two first-round picks in the 2027 NFL Draft, which gives them more flexibility to build around Mendoza if he becomes their quarterback of the future.

Earlier at the NFL Combine, general manager John Spytek admitted that Crosby is an elite talent and that teams usually need elite players to win in the league.

“… Maxx is an elite player, and I’ve been very upfront from the start when I got here that we’re in the business of having really good players on the team, and we need a lot more of them,” he said.

Still, adding two more first-round picks gives them flexibility in coming drafts, as the Raiders are starting fresh under head coach Klint Kubiak.

However, just like the Raiders, the Ravens also got a good deal as they added an elite pass rusher for the upcoming season.

Maxx Crosby will solve a big Ravens problem

The Baltimore Ravens did not hold back when they went after Maxx Crosby. In fact, the purple and black paid a price they rarely pay to land a defender. Still, the move feels justified when you look at the roster. The Ravens clearly needed help at pass rush, and adding a player with Crosby’s ability directly addresses that problem.

After all, Baltimore’s defense struggled more than usual against the pass last season. Opposing quarterbacks posted an adjusted net yards per attempt of 6.7 in 2025, which ranked as the tenth-worst mark in the league. And the Ravens also produced only 30 sacks throughout the season, the third lowest total across the NFL. Because of that, they needed serious help up front, and Crosby brings exactly what the defense lacked.

Over his career, he has piled up 69.5 sacks along with 439 total tackles and 133 tackles for loss. Those numbers put him firmly among the NFL’s most productive pass rushers, and teams like the Cowboys were interested in him.

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Of course, one can argue, with the No. 14 pick, they could have selected a young pass rusher such as Keldric Faulk, Akheem Mesidor, or Cashius Howell. But while those prospects carry promise, none offer the certainty Crosby brings as a proven edge threat.

A team hoping to challenge for the AFC North crown and Super Bowl in 2026 needs players who can contribute immediately rather than promise. And given their urgent need in the defensive front, this deal looks like a calculated gamble that could pay off for the Ravens.