Crosby says – Maxx Crosby told Las Vegas reporters he has moved on after Baltimore backed out of a deal in March, citing recovery from left knee surgery while focusing on getting ready for the 2025 season with the Raiders.
HENDERSON, Nev. — Maxx Crosby was asked about a trade that never happened, and his answer came with the calm of someone who has already lived through the hard part.
“It’s water under the bridge,” the Raiders pass rusher said Wednesday in his first comments to Las Vegas reporters. “It’s a long time ago. A lot of things I learned about what’s going on and what this league can bring. A lot of adversity, a lot of different things you can’t really anticipate. But I’ve been through a lot in my life. It’s nothing to me.
“I’m here and I want to be here and I’m excited to be here. I’ve got a lot of work to do.”
The timeline matters. The Raiders had agreed to send Crosby to Baltimore for two first-round draft picks on March 6. but the Ravens backed out four days later. The decision came a day before the start of the new NFL year when deals can be finalized. A person with knowledge of Baltimore’s decision told The Associated Press at the time that Crosby failed his physical. speaking on condition of anonymity because the results are private.
Crosby made it clear where his loyalty sits.
“Everyone knows my love and appreciation for this organization,” Crosby said. “That never will change. (The trade is) part of the business. There are lot of other things that don’t need to be discussed, but ultimately I’m exactly where I want to be.”
There’s a reason he can talk about it that way: he’s busy trying to finish the recovery that helped derail the deal in the first place. Crosby underwent surgery in January to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee. He missed the final two games of the season despite wanting to play through the injury.
Even so, he has been pushing forward. Still in recovery mode, Crosby has been with the team during stretching exercises at organized team activities before leaving the field to work out at the Raiders’ facility.
Raiders coach Klint Kubiak has said he expected Crosby to be ready for training camp in late July.
For Crosby, the rehab has been measured in small moments—coming close, then having to slow down long enough to be ready.
“This has been a long road to recovery,” Crosby said. “It’s probably the longest rehab I’ve been through. but ultimately it’s been the best by far and we’re not even to the finish line. … I’m real close, but I’m at that point where I forget. I need to relax a little bit. That’s kind of been the biggest battle right now because I’m almost back to being out there.”.
The Raiders’ offseason urgency wasn’t just about cap numbers—it was about building the roster around the quarterback protection. rushing pressure. and defensive identity Crosby helps provide. Getting Crosby back arrived after Raiders general manager John Spytek committed nearly $300 million to eight free agents. That included a three-year. $81 million contract with $60 million guaranteed for Ravens center Tyler Linderbaum. the richest ever for an interior offensive lineman.
Vegas still made room, too. The Raiders entered free agency with nearly $112 million in salary cap space, according to overthecap.com, leaving salary-cap flexibility even with Crosby back because of his March extension.
Crosby had already moved to lock in his future in Las Vegas. The Raiders signed him to a three-year extension in March 2025 worth $106.5 million. with $91.5 million guaranteed. to keep him in Las Vegas through the 2029 season. At the time, the deal made him the highest-paid non-quarterback in league history.
On the field last season, Crosby backed up the price tag. He posted 10 sacks and a career-high 28 tackles for loss, and he has reached double-digit sacks four times in his seven seasons.
What comes next is a new-look defense and a new learning curve. Crosby is learning a scheme under first-year defensive coordinator Rob Leonard. who is switching from a base 4-3 alignment to a 3-4. Crosby isn’t starting from scratch. though—he has worked closely with Leonard. who was the Raiders’ defensive line coach the previous three seasons.
Leonard framed it as more than just schematic change.
“Probably the biggest reason I came here was an opportunity to coach him,” Leonard said. “It’s awesome to help him toward some of his goals as well as the defense and this organization. I just think how much he’s given and sacrificed for this place. To help make something we’re all proud of would be really cool.”.
Crosby will turn 29 in August, and as the rehab continues, his message to the moment is simple: the trade that was supposed to happen is already behind him—now it’s about being ready to return to the field in Las Vegas and take on the next season.
Maxx Crosby Raiders Ravens trade NFL offseason left knee meniscus surgery training camp Rob Leonard 3-4 defense salary cap John Spytek