Just 1 day after backing out of a blockbuster trade for Las Vegas Raiders All-Pro edge rusher Maxx Crosby, the Baltimore Ravens delivered another haymaker to the NFL offseason by agreeing to a 4-year, $112 million contract with free agent edge rusher Trey Hendrickson that could be worth up to $120 million.
“Ravens and Trey Hendrickson reached agreement on a four-year, $112 million contract,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter wrote on his official X account on Wednesday morning. “Hendrickson stays in the AFC North, and now will be facing Joe Burrow and the Bengals twice a season … Trey Hendrickson’s four-year deal worth up to $120 million with the Ravens includes $60 million fully guaranteed and a $20 million signing bonus. For 8, 10, 12 and 14 sacks per season, he also gets an additional $500,000 for each threshold he meets.”
Hendrickson, 6-foot-4 and 265 pounds, had consecutive seasons with 17.5 sacks in 2023 and 2024, leading the NFL in sacks in 2024, when he earned NFL All-Pro honors. He’s also a 4-time Pro Bowler.
Ravens Shocked NFL By Backing Out of Crosby Trade
In one of the more shocking and dramatic offseason twists in NFL history, the Ravens backed out of a trade with the Raiders for Crosby on Tuesday night after agreeing to send their 2026 and 2027 1st round picks to the Raiders in exchange for Crosby on Friday night.
“The Baltimore Ravens have backed out of our trade agreement for Maxx Crosby,” the Raiders said in a prepared statement. “We will have no further comment at this time.”
The deal was called off after Crosby, who underwent meniscus surgery on his knee in December, reportedly failed a physical.
“Maxx Crosby did not pass his physical today, per sources,” The Athletic’s Diana Russini wrote on her official X account. “The Ravens get their first-round picks back.”
Crosby had been in Baltimore the last few days, undergoing physical exams, which are part of finalizing any trade.
The NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo confirmed it was a medical issue that held up the trade.
“Maxx Crosby had surgery to repair his meniscus right around the end of the season, and meniscus recoveries take 3-4 months,” NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport said after the news broke on Tuesday night. “It appears the Ravens are just not comfortable with what they found during the medical exams for Maxx Crosby, so now the trade is off.”
Trey Hendrickson Battled With Bengals Front Office
Hendrickson is coming off a career-worst year in 2025 in which he missed 10 games due to injuries and only had 4.0 sacks after a nasty, prolonged contract battle with the Cincinnati Bengals in the offseason.
He spent the last 2 years battling with the Bengals for a long-term extension and alternately asking to be traded. He finally signed a 1-year, $29 million contract on August 25 but was largely sidelined as the Bengals went 6-11 and missed the playoffs for a third consecutive season.
With such a down year, Hendrickson’s asking price of $30 million had gone down significantly — until the Crosby deal fell through.
Fox Sports NFL reporter Greg Auman had Hendrickson at No. 3 on his list of the Top 100 NFL free agents in the 2026 free agent cycle. ESPN had him ranked as the No. 1 available free agent.
Ravens Pivot Quickly to Sign $112 Million Free Agent Following Maxx Crosby Debacle