HENDERSON, Neb. — The Las Vegas Raiders say Baltimore has backed out of a deal that would have sent star pass rusher Maxx Crosby to the Ravens for two first-round draft picks.
The deal was agreed to last Friday but was not finalized until the league year begins on Wednesday. The Raiders announced Tuesday evening that Baltimore had backed out of the deal. The team said it had no further comment.
Crosby failed his physical with the Ravens on Tuesday. athletic‘s Dianna Russini reported.
He underwent surgery in January to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee and must pass a physical before his contract is finalized. The Raiders’ star missed the final two games of the season due to injury, despite wanting to play at the time.
Crosby recently appeared on “The Herd with Colin Cowherd” and said his rehab was “ahead of schedule.”
The addition of Crosby was expected to help push the Ravens over the top, and the draft pick was expected to be part of a rebuilding effort for the Raiders.
Crosby, 28, recorded 10 sacks and a career-high 28 tackles for loss last season, and has reached double-digit sacks four times in seven seasons.
Baltimore, which has a first-year coach in Jesse Minter, is in win-now mode with three-time All-Pro quarterback Lamar Jackson. Crosby would have been a significant help to a defense that ranked tied for 28th in the league in sacks last season with just 30.
The Raiders hold the No. 1 pick in the draft and are widely expected to select Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza. Las Vegas has been very aggressive in the early days of free agency, according to multiple sources familiar with the move who spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal could not be finalized until Wednesday. Agreed to trade for several new players and trade quarterback Geno Smith to the New York Jets.
The biggest move the Raiders made was agreeing to a contract with three-time Pro Bowl center Tyler Linderbaum. He signed a three-year, $81 million contract, with $60 million guaranteed to leave Baltimore for Las Vegas.
— With files from Sportsnet staff
