Mar 08, 2026
3 min read
The Ravens won the Maxx Crosby sweepstakes, beat the Cowboys and others, and sent the Raiders' 2026 and 2027 first-round picks on a star pass, sources told Adam Schefter.
OWINGS MILLS, Md. - In the biggest trade in franchise history, the Baltimore Ravens are acquiring five-time Pro Bowl defensive end Max Crosby from the Las Vegas Raiders and first-round picks in 2026 and 2027, sources told Adam Schefter Friday night.
The deal is contingent on Crosby passing a physical, which won't happen until the start of the new league on Wednesday.
It's the first time in the Ravens' 31-year history that they've used a first-round pick to trade for a veteran player.Baltimore had the No. 14 pick in this year's draft.
Among the teams the Ravens beat out for Crosby were the Dallas Cowboys, who were willing to offer the star pass rusher a first- and second-round pick, sources told Schefter.
Crosby, 28, has overhauled the Ravens' pass rush, which in 2025 had 30 total sacks, Baltimore's fewest in 15 years.Last season was also the first time since the Ravens' 1996 championship that they didn't have an Edge Rusher with more than 4.5 sacks.
The Ravens are doing this uncharacteristically bad after 2025 in which they finished 8-9, didn't make the playoffs and fired longtime coach John Harbaugh.Baltimore is looking for a game-changer like Crosby to overcome a postseason challenge and reach the Super Bowl for the first time since 2012.
Crosby’s addition will give the Ravens their most decorated and daunting appearance in his most important game since Terrell Suggs, the franchise director who played in Baltimore from 2003 to 2018.Crosby made four double-bag seasons during his seven-year career.At the time, the Ravens had two riders with 10 sacks or more per season: Kyle Van Noy (12.5 per 2024) and Odafe Oweh (10 per 2024).
This is a big addition for new Ravens coach Jesse Minter, who will be calling plays on defense.Since entering the NFL in 2019, Crosby has 360 quarterback pressures, which is 29 more than the next closest player, according to Research.
Their philosophy of building through the draft made the Ravens reluctant to give up desirable draft capital.Before Baltimore landed Crosby, the highest draft pick they gave up was a November 2022 second-round pick for middle linebacker Roquan Smith.
There have only been three drafts in which the Ravens did not have an original first round pick: 2004, 2010 and 2012. In each case, the Ravens either moved back in the first round (2003 for quarterback Kyle Boller) or fell late in the draft to get more picks (2010, 2012).
The Raiders have made it clear they want to keep Crosby.Owner Mark Davis, general manager John Spaytek and new coach Clint Kubiak said last month they expected Crosby to remain with the club through 2026.
But the relationship between the parties deteriorated.
Since the Raiders selected Crosby in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft, he has become one of the best defensive players in the NFL.But his production and loyalty to the team were rarely rewarded.Crosby made the playoffs just once in the 2021 season, and with this defeat, he suffered defeats for five seasons, five coaches and four general managers.
Las Vegas had nine players start a game at quarterback in that span.
The 2025 season, one of the worst in the Raiders' franchise history, seemed to be the tipping point.
The club had high expectations that they would eventually turn things around and have a winning culture established by Pete Carroll.Las Vegas gave Crosby a three-year, $106.5 million contract extension last March, making him one of the highest-paid non-quarterbacks in NFL history, with hopes he can help usher in a new era in Las Vegas.
Instead, the Raiders finished 3–14, the fifth time in franchise history they had three or fewer wins.Starting cornerback Geno Smith was the worst performer, throwing a league-high 17 interceptions.(Sources told Schefter earlier Friday that the team plans to release the quarterback, barring a trade, before the start of the new league year.) The Raiders fired offensive coordinator Chip Kelly and special teams coordinator Tom McMahon midseason.
Through it all, Crosby continued to play at a high level and remained a strong leader in the locker room, finishing with 10 sacks.
But Crosby's future was in question after the Raiders shut him down for the final two weeks of the season because of a knee injury he suffered in October.Crosby was disappointed with the decision.
After the Raiders locked up Crosby, they acquired the top pick in the draft and Carroll was fired.
The hiring of Kubiak signaled that the Raiders were preparing for a true rebuild.While they have exciting young players like quarterback Ashton Jeanty, linebacker Brock Bowers and Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza likely on their way through the No. 1 pick, the Raiders still have a long way to go before they are considered playoff contenders.
That timeline doesn't suit Crosby, who is hungry to play important games in January and February.
"When we don't win, what's your face?"Crosby said last year."I want to be the face of victory, that's the most important thing for me."
Ryan McFadden contributed to this report.
