The Baltimore Ravens have had a bit of a wild offseason to this point, and that may be putting it lightly. The team caught the league by surprise when it fired head coach John Harbaugh after missing the playoffs in 2025, with former Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter being hired as his replacement.
That doesn’t even qualify as the craziest move, though. After initially agreeing to send a pair of first-round picks to the Las Vegas Raiders for Maxx Crosby, the Ravens backed out of the deal at the last second, with the superstar defensive end having failed his physical. Baltimore has received quite a bit of grief for its handling of the situation, and Minter recently addressed the team’s failed trade for Crosby.
Jesse Minter Dishes on Maxx Crosby Fiasco
Ravens head coach Jesse Minter joins NFL Live to discuss Baltimore’s pursuit of Maxx Crosby and where the team goes from here.
After weeks of trade rumors, it seemed like the Ravens had found their superstar pass rusher when it was reported that they were set to acquire Crosby from the Raiders. One of the premier defensive talents of his generation, Crosby is fresh off a 10-sack campaign that saw him earn his fifth-straight Pro Bowl selection.
Of course, a big reason why Crosby wanted out of Las Vegas was that the team opted to shut him down early in 2025, in an effort to help the team bolster its position in the 2026 NFL Draft. The Raiders earned the No. 1 overall pick in the draft, but that move seemed set to result in Crosby leaving town, as he was reportedly livid with the decision. However, he’s back in town now, and he seems set to stay with his longtime team.
It wasn’t as if Crosby was fully healthy, though, and the Ravens saw something during his physical that spooked them and caused them to back out of their aforementioned trade with the Raiders. While some folks believe Baltimore simply got cold feet, Minter made it clear that wasn’t the case, as he revealed the team was stoked to have briefly added Crosby before the deal came crashing down.
“We were super excited about the thought of Maxx Crosby. We were disappointed that it didn’t work,” Minter said on “NFL Live.”
Jesse Minter, Ravens Moving on From Maxx Crosby Situation
GettyNew Baltimore Ravens head coach Jesse Minter is introduced during a news conference at Under Armour Performance Center Baltimore Ravens on January 29, 2026 in Owings Mills, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
In a perfect world, this trade would have gone through, but the Ravens were forced to adapt, and to their credit, they did. Shortly after news of Crosby’s failed physical, Baltimore turned around and signed the top remaining pass rusher on the open market, Trey Hendrickson, to a four-year, $112 million contract. Unsurprisingly, this didn’t exactly help Baltimore’s standing with the rest of the league.
At the end of the day, though, the Ravens are simply trying to do what they feel is best in their quest to win a Super Bowl. Sure, the situation could have been handled better by the team, but they did what they believe will help them win next season. With the whole situation in the rearview mirror now, folks will surely be keeping tabs on Baltimore to see how it fares in 2026 now that Hendrickson, not Crosby, is leading its defense.
Ravens HC Jesse Minter Shares Honest Thoughts on Failed Maxx Crosby Trade