Maxx Crosby Named Free Agency ‘Loser’ After Announcing 2026 Decision

Maxx Crosby is back with the Las Vegas Raiders and ready to put the failed trade to the Baltimore Ravens behind him.

But the star edge rusher could still be smarting over the lost opportunity to join a Super Bowl contender, one NFL analyst wrote. Crosby returns to a Raiders team that finished at the bottom of the NFL, with the prospect of a rebuild ahead.

Maxx Crosby ‘Lost’ in Failed Trade

The Ravens rocked the NFL world when they pulled out of the trade with the Raiders, reportedly balking after receiving the results of Crosby’s physical. After some early speculation that the Raiders could try again to trade Crosby, the veteran pass rusher — who sought the trade after growing upset with the team’s decision to shut down his season after a knee injury —  announced that he was moving forward with the Raiders and focusing on the upcoming season.

Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon named Crosby as one of the biggest losers so far in free agency, noting that this was his best opportunity to get out from the struggling franchise and join a Super Bowl contender.

“This was Crosby’s shot at joining a team in win-now mode in what appears to be the final chapter or two of his prime,” Gagnon wrote. “The Raiders have some strong pieces and have bolstered the defense in support of Crosby, but they’re not a realistic Super Bowl contender in 2026. Crosby, who turns 29 this summer, is entering his eighth year. He’s been a part of just one winning season in his career, and that is unlikely to change in 2026. Making matters worse, there may now be questions about his long-term health following a failed physical with Baltimore.”

The Ravens rebounded quickly after pulling out of the Crosby trade, landing the next-biggest prize in the pass-rushing group — former Cincinnati Bengals star Trey Hendrickson. Gagnon predicted that Crosby would wind up back on the trade block sometime in the coming year.

“The Ravens get back to the playoffs and rejoin the Super Bowl conversation with Trey Hendrickson while Crosby wastes another year of his prime with the rebuilding Raiders before begging for a trade at the deadline or in 2027,” he wrote.

The Raiders do have some big opportunities to improve. They hold the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s NFL draft and the chance to land a potential franchise quarterback in Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza.

Ravens Moving On

While some analysts believe the Ravens could face a backlash after pulling out of the trade, former NFL general manager Mike Tannenbaum believes teams will still be willing to work with them on future trades.

“In the NFL, everything is transactional,” he told USA Today. “And if the best opportunities are to work with the Ravens, they’re going to work with the Ravens. I don’t put a lot of stock into that.”

While the former Jets general manager said the Ravens should have expected to see some knee damage after Crosby just underwent meniscus repair, he doesn’t believe the team did anything underhanded in their decision to pull out of the trade.

“I think they just see it differently,” Tannenbaum said.

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