Cowboys Boss Jerry Jones Doesn’t See Anything Wrong With Ravens Backing Out of Maxx Crosby Trade

Cowboys owner, Jerry Jones believes that the Ravens made the right choice by backing out of the Maxx Crosby trade deal.

Cowboys Boss Jerry Jones Doesn’t See Anything Wrong With Ravens Backing Out of Maxx Crosby Trade

Maxx Crosby and Jerry Jones (Image via IMAGO)

In Short
  • Jerry Jones supports the Ravens' decision to back out of the Maxx Crosby trade due to physical concerns.
  • The Ravens sent two first-round draft picks to acquire Crosby but later returned him to the Raiders after medical evaluations.
  • Jones remains open to future trade discussions for Crosby despite previous rejections from the Raiders.

Jerry Jones is playing the Devil’s Advocate in the collapsed Maxx Crosby trade. The owner of the Dallas Cowboys strongly believes that the Baltimore Ravens made the right call by backing out of the deal.

The Ravens deprived the football fraternity of the chance to see Crosby line up next to Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry based on the 28-year-old’s physical. Crosby returned to the Las Vegas Raiders, and unless another team sends a new offer, he will suit up for the AFC West franchise in 2026.

Although this move by the Ravens put them at risk of losing trust in the league, one owner at the very least is on their side. Jones, who tried several times to trade for Crosby, made a surprising claim at the recent annual owners’ meeting. Jones said via Ari Meirov of The 33rd Team:

There’s no hidden item there — you’ve got to pass a physical. We’ve never completed an agreement until the player passes the physical. We would have had the same conditions with the physical. As you know, we were in on making an offer for him.

According to league sources, the Raiders rejected three bids from the Cowboys before accepting the offer from the Ravens. The AFC North club sent two first-round draft picks (first rounds of the 2026 and 2027 drafts) in exchange for Crosby’s services.

After Crosby underwent the physical, the Ravens employed several third-party doctors, including a specialist who works for the Cowboys, to review the report. The group advised against going through with the trade based on the evaluation of Crosby’s surgically repaired knee.

Shortly after, the Ravens signed Trey Hendrickson. An adamant Eric DeCosta, GM of the Ravens, announced that he wanted to sign both Crosby and Hendrickson, creating an ultimate pass-rushing machine. DeCosta defended the move and dismissed the narrative that the Ravens got cold feet after seeing the reports. He said:

We live in that age of skepticism, and people question things, especially people that don’t really know me or know the Ravens culture and the Ravens organization… I’ve got a responsibility—to the Ravens, to this community, to our fans, and to [owner] Steve Bisciotti—to do what we think is best for the club. Nobody is more upset about this than me.

For the longest time, the Raiders believed that with Crosby off their payroll, they could move forward and pick up a few players from free agency. GM John Spytek made as many as six signings, including center Tyler Linderbaum. The Raiders’ plans took a major hit when the Ravens sent Crosby back to them. It was a surprise, but Spytek’s team is putting in the work to get the All-Pro edge rushers back on the roster.

I knew we were organizationally in a great place that no matter what the result was, that we would be okay, and to me that was the most important part… Maxx [Crosby] is back, and it’s like he never left. He’s working his (butt) off to get healthy, and he’ll be ready to rock by training camp to play a bunch of good football for many years to come.

Jerry Jones leaves the door open for a Maxx Crosby trade

Jones isn’t the type to easily give up on a player with the kind of pedigree and brand Crosby carries. Even after being turned down three times, Jones has kept the door open for revisiting the trade deal in the future.

Cowboys Boss Jerry Jones Doesn't See Anything Wrong With Ravens Backing Out of Maxx Crosby Trade
Maxx Crosby (Image via IMAGO)

In an interview with Jon Machota of The Athletic, the veteran owner said:

I don’t anticipate, standing here right now, revisiting that situation. I don’t anticipate it. Is it possible? Yes.

Crosby, drafted in the fourth round during the 2019 draft, has racked up 439 combined tackles, 133 TFLs, and 69.5 sacks in 110 appearances. He has received Second-Team All-Pro nods twice and five Pro Bowl call-ups.

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