The Baltimore Ravens did not wait on Cam Jurgens. They quietly completed his medical check, agreed to the trade, and only then did the news break. The veteran center had dealt with a back issue in 2025 and remains in concussion protocol. That did not stop Baltimore. Now the rest of the league has a benchmark.

Per reports, the Ravens acquired Jurgens and a 2027 seventh-round pick from the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for a 2027 fifth-round pick and a 2028 second-round pick. Now, however, it has been revealed that Baltimore approached the trade cautiously, especially after its previous deal for Maxx Crosby fell through when the Ravens backed out following concerns over his physical.

According to NFL analyst Tom Pelissero, the Ravens quietly traveled to Philadelphia to conduct Cam Jurgens’ physical and kept the trade under wraps until it was finalized. They reportedly did so to avoid another Maxx Crosby-like fallout. Meanwhile, ESPN’s Adam Schefter added another layer to the situation.

“The Ravens sent two of their doctors — their chief medical officer and head trainer — to the Eagles’ training facility Wednesday morning,” Adam Schefter reported on October 11. “In a quiet part of the room, without the majority of the Eagles organization even noticing, Ravens doctors put Jurgens — who still is in the concussion protocol and had back surgery in 2025 — through the type of physical that Crosby did not pass, sources said.”

The trade was ultimately finalized after the doctors cleared Jurgens as fit.

Certainly, the Ravens took a different approach to the Jurgens trade compared to the one involving Crosby, which they eventually backed out of. And now, Adam Schefter believes that “it’s possible now that when other teams are entering advanced trade talks, they could opt to put any players in the deal through a physical prior to finalizing a trade.”

For broader context, Crosby suffered a knee injury during the 2025 season, but still continued playing through it. The Raiders, however, eventually placed him on injured reserve.

Subsequently, he underwent surgery to repair his knee. However, while he was still recovering from his surgery, the Raiders traded him to the Ravens in exchange for a pair of first-round picks, one in 2026 and the other in 2027.

As that happened, Crosby underwent a physical and an MRI at the Ravens’ facility. The medical evaluation, however, raised concerns about the condition of his knee, prompting the Ravens to not proceed with the trade.

ESPN’s Ryan McFadden subsequently reported that Baltimore’s concern was a degenerative issue in the surgically repaired knee that could affect Crosby’s durability over the next few seasons. According to the report, the consensus was that Crosby could play in 2026, but the Ravens were less certain about his long-term outlook. Baltimore consulted multiple physicians, including outside specialists, before reaching its decision.

Cam Jurgens’ scenario, meanwhile, is a bit different from Crosby’s. The two-time Pro Bowler underwent a back procedure in 2025 to alleviate nerve pain that had bothered him during the season. While he certainly returned to play in the 2026 season, he’s currently in a concussion protocol and is expected to miss the Ravens’ Week 5 matchup against the Atlanta Falcons.

But at the same time, Baltimore had a dire need on its offensive line amid major injury issues at center.

The Ravens entered 2026 needing to replace three-time Pro Bowler center Tyler Linderbaum after he left in free agency to join the Raiders on a reported three-year, $81 million deal. At the same time, the Ravens’ replacement plan fell apart because of injuries.

Danny Pinter was expected to start but suffered a season-ending injury during training camp in August. Subsequently, Jovaughn Gwyn took over the starting job but suffered a fractured fibula against the Dallas Cowboys this season. Now, he is expected to miss two to three months.

Ethan Pocic suffered a knee injury after being brought in to compete for the position. But he was also sidelined for an extended period. Now, Cam Jurgens gives the Ravens an option to bolster the offensive line. However, he will not make his Ravens debut in Week 5 against the Falcons, but he is expected to start against the Cleveland Browns in Week 6.