Just when Las Vegas Raiders fans had gotten over the news that Maxx Crosby had been traded to the Baltimore Ravens and started to get excited about the mountain of draft picks and salary cap space that the team had, Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta backed out of the deal.
In an incredibly bad-faith move, Baltimore decided, on the eve of the 2026 NFL league year beginning and the trade officially being processed, that they were not planning to go through with the trade. Suddenly, the world is upside down in Las Vegas, and fans are beginning to worry.
The Crosby trade was the very essence of the offseason approach for both teams. The Raiders, equipped with tons of salary cap space, went on a spending spree. The Ravens, after taking on Crosby's bulky contract, couldn't re-sign Tyler Linderbaum or any big-ticket veterans.
Where on earth does either team go from here?
Raiders' free agency class just got screwed by Ravens' Maxx Crosby bombshell
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport confirmed that Baltimore backed out because it did not want to assume the risk with Crosby's knee injury, which he is currently recovering from. The one that Crosby played on since Week 3 and that the Ravens knew about when they agreed to the deal. That one.
"It goes back to the words 'failed physical' because that has been something that has been discussed. There's really no such thing as a failed physical because every player has varying levels of medical fitness. It is really a decision that the team makes about what risk they are willing to assume," Rapoport reported. "In other words, if the Ravens paid a million dollars and no draft picks for Maxx Crosby, they would probably decide that the risk of his knee, which is not fully healed from a meniscus repair, they would probably assume that risk is worth it."
Well, the Raiders committed tons of money to free agents on Monday and Tuesday. It is currently unknown what the exact financial ramifications of this will be, but Las Vegas may not be able to sign all of the players with whom they agreed to terms.
Expected big-money signings like Quay Walker, Nakobe Dean, Tyler Linderbaum and Kwity Paye are now all in question. Paye seems like the obvious domino to fall, as he is making $16 million to play the same position as Crosby. Malcolm Koonce is making $11 million, too, so he could also be gone now.
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Until they find a solution with Crosby, the Raiders may be stuck with him and his salary, whether or not he plays for them in 2026. That seems unlikely, now that the cat is out of the bag and everyone knows that the relationship between the two sides is severed.
Now, Las Vegas doesn't have the No. 14 pick next month. They don't own the Ravens' 2027 first-rounder either. They have Crosby at a pricetag of roughly $30 million next year unless something shakes out before the league year begins on Wednesday.
You know, it seemed too good to be true that the Raiders actually completed a blockbuster trade that made sense and gave fans hope. DeCosta has now made sure that this doesn't become a reality. But he has made his bed, as he will no longer have Crosby or Linderbaum. Now he has to lie in it.
John Spytek is a great general manager. He'll figure it out. And karma better be in his and the Raiders' favor, because he'd never make a raw deal like the one DeCosta just did.