Jason Burgos
A new rumor suggests the Baltimore Ravens’ decision to back out of a trade for Maxx Crosby nixed plans to form the scariest pass rush combo in the NFL.
On Tuesday night, NFL fans were stunned when the Las Vegas Raiders revealed that the Ravens had backed out of a planned trade that would send the five-time Pro Bowler to Baltimore. Following the news, reports emerged that the results from a Tuesday physical made the medical team uneasy about Crosby’s long-term outlook.
Yet, despite passing on adding one of the best pass rushers in the game, the Ravens made a stunning pivot on Wednesday. ESPN’s Adam Schefter was first to report that the franchise and top free agent Trey Hendrickson had come to terms on a four-year deal worth $112 million.
Ravens planned to pair Crosby and Hendrickson in 2026
The assumption by all is that the Ravens moved to sign the Cincinnati Bengals star after they pulled out of the agreement to acquire Crosby. However, adding Hendrickson was the second part of a grand plan to add the pair of elite pass rushers.
“They actually had conversations with Trey Hendrickson about teaming him with Maxx Crosby,” Schefter revealed during a Wednesday morning appearance on Get Up. “And when the conversations first started, Trey Hendrickson was of the mind that he would be in Baltimore with Maxx Crosby. But alas, that didn’t happen.”
Combining Crosby and Hendrickson next season would have immediately made the Ravens the frontrunners to have the best pass rush in the entire NFL next season. Division rivals the Pittsburgh Steelers, Cincinnati Bengals, and Cleveland Browns now know they got very lucky the Crosby deal fell through. Because their QBs were close to being in serious trouble in their two games against Baltimore next season.
