Maxx Crosby’s Growing Rift with Raiders Should Have Ravens on High Alert
If the Baltimore Ravens are serious about making a Super Bowl run in 2026, it’s time to start acting like it. That means addressing the most glaring hole on the roster: a true game-wrecking pass rusher.
And if recent reports are even remotely accurate, there may be a silver-and silver-and-black-lining on the horizon. Enter Maxx Crosby.
The five-time Pro Bowler is reportedly fed up in Las Vegas. Crosby’s frustration boiled over late in the 2025 season, when the Raiders shut him down due to a lingering knee injury he’d been battling since Week 7.
He wanted to keep playing. The team said no.
That disagreement, followed by offseason surgery, seems to have opened a rift that might be too wide to repair.
Now, we’re hearing that Crosby has made it clear-possibly even to Raiders minority owner Tom Brady-that he’s done with the franchise. According to reports, his camp has started reaching out to other teams, making it known that he wants out and doesn’t plan to suit up for the Raiders again. One NFL general manager even claimed Crosby told Brady directly that he’s finished in Vegas.
That’s not just smoke. That’s a signal flare.
Is the Door Open? Maybe Just a Crack, But That’s All It Takes
While we haven’t seen full confirmation from every corner of the league, ESPN’s Adam Schefter added fuel to the fire during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show. Schefter said there’s a “feeling around the league” that Crosby would like to be traded, even if the Raiders aren’t eager to move him.
And here’s the kicker: Schefter also noted it would take a “Micah Parsons-type package” to get the Raiders to even consider picking up the phone.
That’s a steep price. But it’s also the going rate for elite, franchise-altering talent-and make no mistake, that’s exactly what Crosby is.
Why Baltimore Needs to Be in This Conversation
The Ravens have built a reputation on smart roster management and draft-day value, but at some point, you have to push your chips in. Baltimore hasn’t hoisted a Lombardi Trophy since 2012, and the 2025 season made one thing painfully clear: the pass rush just isn’t good enough.
Thirty sacks over an entire season? That won’t cut it-not in today’s NFL, not in the AFC, and certainly not when you’re trying to get past the likes of Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow, and Josh Allen in January.
Maxx Crosby is the kind of player who changes that math instantly. He’s racked up 69.5 sacks since entering the league in 2019 and has been a relentless force off the edge.
He’s not just productive-he’s disruptive. He commands double teams, wins one-on-ones, and sets the tone for an entire defense.
Baltimore hasn’t had that kind of consistent edge presence since the prime days of Terrell Suggs and Elvis Dumervil. Matthew Judon gave them flashes, but since his departure, the Ravens have relied on a carousel of aging veterans and developmental prospects. It’s time to break that cycle.
The Case for Going Big
Yes, a Micah Parsons-type deal would be expensive. Dallas received two first-round picks and a starting-caliber defensive tackle in the Parsons trade.
That’s not pocket change. But it’s the kind of move that separates contenders from champions.
General manager Eric DeCosta is known for valuing his draft picks, and rightfully so. But it’s worth asking: how many of those picks have turned into players like Maxx Crosby? This isn’t about mortgaging the future-it’s about investing in a player who is the future.
Mike Green showed real promise as a rookie and looks like he could be a long-term piece on the edge. But the Ravens can’t afford to wait for him to become the guy. They need a proven star to line up opposite him, someone who can elevate the entire defensive front from Day 1.
What Comes Next?
The Raiders could still slam the door on any potential deal by offering Crosby a new contract extension. That’s certainly a possibility-just look at how the Browns handled a similar situation with Myles Garrett. But until that happens, Baltimore should be working the phones.
This is the kind of opportunity that doesn’t come around often. A top-tier, All-Pro-caliber pass rusher who might actually be available?
That’s rare air. If the relationship between Crosby and the Raiders is truly fractured, the Ravens need to be ready to pounce.
Because in this league, draft picks are valuable-but sacks win playoff games. And Maxx Crosby brings plenty of those.