Scott Gulbransen
The Baltimore Ravens handed Maxx Crosby the best motivation of his career and they probably don’t even realize it.
When the agreed-upon trade collapsed in March, after Crosby failed his physical, the Ravens essentially told one of the best pass rushers in football that his knee made him damaged goods. That’s a hard thing to hear at 28, coming off a season where he posted 10 sacks on a team that finished 3-14 and didn’t give him much to work with. Crosby pushed back against the Raiders, shutting him down late in 2025. He wanted to play. The organization made the call, which made sense given what was at stake with the No. 1 pick. None of that made it easier to swallow.
His public response was measured. “It’s water under the bridge,” he told reporters. “I’m here, and I want to be here.” What he’s been telling people around the league privately is a different story. According to reports, Crosby has made clear he’s more fired up than ever, specifically because of the way Baltimore walked away. One anonymous GM put it plainly: “He’ll probably play his ass off.” That tracks with everything coming out of Henderson.
Maxx Crosby Remains Focused and Available
Maxx Crosby hasn’t been on the practice field during OTAs, but he’s been in the building every single day. Klint Kubiak said at minicamp that he “wouldn’t be surprised if Crosby was ahead of schedule,” which is notable for a head coach to say publicly about a player recovering from meniscus surgery. Crosby’s own description of the rehab process is telling. Crosby said he’s moving more weight in the gym than he ever has and that the forced rest has allowed his body to recover in ways that grinding through a full offseason never would have.
“It’s been better because I’ve been able to focus on other things,” he said, per ESPN’s Ryan McFadden. “This has forced me to have to take a step back in certain areas and not run 8,000 yards on the field every single day.”
That’s not a guy who’s beaten down by the process. That’s a guy who found something in it.
Related: San Francisco 49ers Connected to Pro Bowl Pass Rusher
Concern for Raiders Isn’t Crosby’s Focus or Committment
The legitimate concern here isn’t motivation, it’s durability. Meniscus tears with cartilage involvement are the kind of injury that tends to be quiet in September and loud in November. Crosby will be 29 when the season opens and the Raiders have every reason to manage his reps carefully through the preseason. Rob Leonard is building a defense around Crosby as its centerpiece, pulling from his time under Mike Macdonald in Baltimore and Brian Flores in Miami. The scheme works if Crosby is healthy and disruptive. It gets complicated if he’s managing a knee by November.
There’s never a question about Maxx Crosby’s drive and desire to excel. Now, he has extra motivation. The question will remain: will he be available?
