John Spytek Addresses Maxx Crosby Drama with Calm, Confident Message

Raiders GM John Spytek insisted in an exclusive interview that relationship with Maxx Crosby has not turned sour in the aftermath of his collapsed trade to the Ravens.

John Spytek Addresses Maxx Crosby Drama with Calm, Confident Message

Maxx Crosby and John Spytek inside the circle (Image via IMAGO/X)

In Short
  • Maxx Crosby's trade to the Baltimore Ravens fell through due to concerns from his physical examination.
  • Raiders GM John Spytek expressed confidence in Crosby's return and emphasized their positive relationship.
  • Despite the trade collapse, the Raiders remain open to future trade possibilities for Crosby after he proves his performance on the field.

Maxx Crosby‘s trade fell through when the Baltimore Ravens backed out at the last moment. Concerns arose from Crosby’s physical examination, prompting the Ravens to seek other options.

Even though the Las Vegas Raiders seemed quite content to lose the 28-year-old star edge rusher, they welcomed him back when the deal was officially called off. The Raiders are currently undergoing a rebuilding phase, raising questions about whether Crosby plans to stay for the long term or if this is merely a temporary situation.

Raiders general manager John Spytek spoke about Crosby and shared the team’s position on the situation in an exclusive interview on the Raiders YouTube channel.

My relationship with Maxx [Crosby] since I’ve gotten here has been great. We had a lot of conversations throughout the season, at the end of the season, and through the offseason. We were presented with a challenging and difficult decision to make.

John Spytek said

Despite embracing the “Raiders for Life” culture, Crosby faced a challenging situation toward the end of last campaign when the coaching team decided to bench him to increase their chances of landing the first overall draft pick in 2026. Rumors started swirling on social media that he wanted out of Vegas, even though he never said it out loud.

Still, the news of the Ravens’ bid came as a surprise to most. After saying his goodbyes to the Raiders fans, Crosby completed his medical in Baltimore. The doctors raised concerns about his surgically repaired knee. Baltimore quickly blocked the deal and signed Trey Hendrickson instead, even though GM Eric DeCosta later insisted that he wanted to sign both Crosby and the former Bengal’s DE. Nevertheless, Crosby returned to Vegas and shared his unsavory experience in Baltimore.

This situation put the Raiders and Spytek in a difficult position. Spytek was operating under the belief that the Raiders would not have to pay Crosby, which allowed him to acquire two first-round picks. So, he went ahead and signed a bunch of players from free agency. Fortunately, the Raiders have $50 million in cap space, which should be more than enough to cover the All-Pro pass rusher’s salary for the 2026 season.

However, situations like this can put a strain on long-standing relationships. Spytek made it clear that the Raiders and Crosby are on good terms.

Things have a way of going a certain way and working out the way they’re supposed to. We welcome him like he never left because he really never did. It’s exciting to see him work hard and attack the rehab like we know. I know he’s going to be back, ready to rock in August this year and have many good years ahead of him still.

Spytek further said

The Dallas Cowboys reportedly made three offers before and after the trade collapsed. The Raiders refused to do business with the Cowboys every time.

Will the Raiders no longer trade Maxx Crosby?

The Raiders seem happy to have the 69.5 sacks man back on the roster. That does not mean the window for a future trade has closed.

John Spytek Addresses Maxx Crosby Drama with Calm, Confident Message
Maxx Crosby (Image via IMAGO)

Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated believes that the trade could still happen, but not at the moment.

If he’s going to be traded, I think it’s going to have to come after Maxx Crosby gets back on the field and plays really well, so people will forget about everything that just happened. That way, it becomes a little easier when it comes to managing your owners and your fan base.

Breer said via FanSided

Crosby played 15 games in 2025. He racked up 73 combined tackles, 10.0 sacks, 6 pass deflections, and one interception. Crosby also leads the entire NFL with 133 TFLs (since 2019).

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