“He Should Feel Disgusted,” Emmanuel Acho Smells Foul Play in Entire Maxx Crosby-Ravens Trade Saga

Maxx Crosby was headed to the Ravens on a trade before it broke down and Baltimore signed Trey Hendrickson.

“He Should Feel Disgusted,” Emmanuel Acho Smells Foul Play in Entire Maxx Crosby-Ravens Trade Saga

Maxx Crosby and Emmanuel Acho inside the circle (Image via IMAGO/X)

In Short
  • Maxx Crosby's trade to the Baltimore Ravens collapsed after concerns over his medical report.
  • Emmanuel Acho criticized the Ravens and media for allegedly undermining Crosby's reputation.
  • Crosby's agent confirmed he is ahead of schedule in his recovery, leading to speculation about the trade's motivations.

The unexpected collapse of Maxx Crosby’s trade to the Baltimore Ravens sent the NFL world into a frenzy. Baltimore offered two first-round picks for the pass rusher to make him a Raven, but backed out of the deal following the medical.

Emmanuel Acho, who played linebacker in the NFL for a time, showed support for Crosby’s situation by calling out the Ravens and criticizing an alleged smear campaign by some media outlets aimed at shielding the team from scrutiny. Acho said on Speakeasy:

Maxx should feel disgusted. Not only should Maxx feel disgusted by what the Ravens did, because they knew Maxx Crosby’s injury going into the trade, but you also know that Maxx Crosby is ahead of schedule regardless of his rehab. Maxx should feel disgusted by the intentional public hit job by so many reporters.

Acho noted that Dianna Russini of The Athletic was one of the first to highlight Crosby’s physical report, which led the Ravens to hesitate and ultimately withdraw from the trade. Crosby underwent knee reconstruction in January, and his agent, CJ LaBoy, stated that the 28-year-old is making progress ahead of schedule in his rehabilitation. This information was known to the Ravens prior to the trade decision.

Maxx continues to be on track in his recovery and if anything is ahead of schedule according to his surgeon Dr Neal El Attrache. Maxx remains on track to return during the offseason program & will undoubtedly return as the dominant game wrecker he has been these past 7 seasons.

After the trade collapsed, the Ravens signed former Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson. Adam Schefter of ESPN reported that Hendrickson wasn’t too happy about the trade, as he had picked the Ravens specifically to play alongside Crosby. Schefter said on The Pat McAfee Show:

I don’t think he [Hendrickson] was particularly thrilled that the Maxx Crosby trade fell through. He was looking forward, if he opted for the Baltimore offer, in the midst of his discussions with multiple other teams, to playing with Maxx Crosby. That was his initial impression.

Acho claimed that Schefter and other prominent media figures are pushing this campaign to protect the Ravens’ interests:

They are saying that because subconsciously… they are trying to infer that it is actually about the injury.

Hendrickson signed a four-year, $112 million deal to stay in the AFC North. It kept the Ravens’ two first-round picks intact while acquiring a pass rusher who recorded 17.5 sacks in back-to-back years (2023 and 2024).

Emmanuel Acho says Maxx Crosby staying with the Raiders is a blessing in disguise for the Vegas franchise

Crosby agreed to leave Vegas because he was getting tired of the constant rebuilds and poor results. To make matters worse, things between him and the Raiders’ front office deteriorated when he was benched for the last two games of the season.

"He Should Feel Disgusted" - Emmanuel Acho Smells Foul Play in Entire Maxx Crosby-Ravens Trade Saga
Maxx Crosby (Image via IMAGO)

Despite the growing rift between the two parties, Crosby announced his intention to retire in what he described as his final message before departing for Baltimore for the physical. When the deal fell through, he headed back to Vegas, and the Raiders decided to keep the two-time All-Pro edge rusher, despite having made several free agency moves under the pretense of freeing up cap space. Acho believes this is a blessing in disguise for the Raiders. He said:

I believe you currently have the best linebacking core in football because you got Nakobi Dean, you got Quay Walker.

Not only that, the Ravens have several weapons in the offense, including center Tyler Linderbaum, tight end Brock Bowers, running back Ashton Jeanty, and soon-to-be first overall draft pick Fernando Mendoza as the quarterback. The Raiders also added nickel cornerback Taron Johnson, from the Bills, as a key piece on the defense.

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