The NFL world was caught by surprise with the news that the Baltimore Ravens backed out of the trade for edge rusher Maxx Crosby, who will return to the Las Vegas Raiders after failing his physical on Tuesday. The move had already been considered a done deal, and
Crosby had even said goodbye to the team, but he will now return to the Raiders.
The news is not only surprising because it was unexpected. After all, it is not every day that we see teams change their minds about trades and negotiations, but it also raises a question: can teams cancel trades? Understand the situation.
Can NFL Teams Cancel Trades?
Crosby joining the Ravens already seemed like a certainty, as the player was unhappy with the Raiders and was even held out in the final weeks of the season to avoid risking an injury that could hurt a potential move at the end of the year. So when Baltimore traded two first-round picks for the defender, no one questioned it.
However, Crosby was in fact dealing with a knee issue, more specifically in the meniscus, according to Ian Rapoport, which required a repair procedure with a recovery timeline of three to four months. Because the procedure took place in early January, it was already expected that with only two months of recovery, Crosby would not be at 100%.
Welp: It’s not just players that can change their minds. Teams can, too. But clearly there is a reason, and Maxx Crosby still had to take and pass a physical coming off a significant knee injury. https://t.co/iKjTLcIRCL
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 11, 2026
Even so, the trade went through, and Baltimore’s medical staff evaluated the player, but they were not confident in what they saw from Crosby and the team; therefore, they backed out of the trade. This league mechanism exists and allows teams to cancel moves if a player fails his physical, protecting the team financially.
The trade would only become official once Crosby passed the tests, but that does not make the situation any less surprising, given that it is an injury being treated early in the year and, in theory, should not keep the defender from preparing for the season.
Maxx Crosby did not pass his physical today, per sources.
The Ravens get their first round picks back.
— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) March 11, 2026
More often, we see teams back out of negotiations with free agents because of physical concerns, which follows the same principle. The contract can be verbally agreed upon, but it depends on medical approval to actually be finalized.
Backing out of the trade is certainly frustrating for both sides. Baltimore believed it had found its star edge rusher to lead the pass rush in Jesse Minter’s unit for 2026 and will now have to look again in the market for a solution, while the Raiders were working under the scenario of having two first-round picks in the draft.
The teams’ plans will change over the next few weeks. Crosby remaining in Las Vegas still seems unlikely, and other teams will likely show interest in the player to at least understand where his meniscus recovery stands. But if Crosby was previously viewed as a hot asset, this news will certainly cool things down.
