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Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson and Las Vegas Raiders edge rusher Maxx Crosby.
The Baltimore Ravens have pulled off the NFL’s first blockbuster trade of the offseason, obtaining Las Vegas Raiders edge rusher Maxx Crosby in exchange for Baltimore’s 1st round picks in the 2026 and 2027 NFL drafts.
“ESPN sources: the Raiders agreed to trade five-time Pro-Bowl DE Maxx Crosby to the Baltimore Ravens in exchange for 2026 and 2027 first-round picks,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter wrote on his official X account on Friday night. “The trade cannot be processed until next week, but it is in place. And Crosby is expected to be a Raven with two 1s back to Vegas.”
Crosby is a game-changing defender, and his addition cements the Ravens as Super Bowl contenders in 2026 after they failed to make the playoffs in 2025, which led to Super Bowl-winning head coach John Harbaugh being fired after 18 seasons.
The Ravens replaced Harbaugh with Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator and former Ravens assistant Jesse Minter.
The Ravens now have NFL All-Pro talent on every level of the defense with Crosby, safety Kyle Hamilton, and inside linebacker Roquan Smith.
“The Raiders are trading star edge Maxx Crosby to the Ravens for pick No. 14 and additional compensation” NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport wrote on his official X account. “A blockbuster. A new home for Crosby and a true rebuild for Las Vegas … Maxx Crosby has been a loyal member of the Raiders. You had to think Mark Davis would do right by him in the end. And that’s what happened.”
Ravens QB Lamar Jackson Hinted at Trade
Crosby’s trade also explained a cryptic post on X from 2-time Ravens NFL MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson earlier on Friday — a smiling face emoji along with the Denzel Washington “Boom” meme.
After news of Crosby’s trade broke, Jackson once again tweeted out the Denzel meme along with 2 crystal balls.
The trade was historic for the Ravens in terms of what they gave up.
“For the first time in the Ravens’ 31-year history, the franchise will use a first-round pick to trade for a player,” ESPN’s Jamison Hensley wrote on his official X account. “Baltimore acquires Maxx Crosby after a season in which it recorded its fewest sacks in 15 years.”
Maxx Crosby: Finally Playing For Contender
The Ravens making the trade for Crosby hit like a nuclear bomb on NFL social media — mainly because of how dominant Crosby has been for years on terrible teams.
Crosby signed a 3-year, $106.5 million contract extension with the Raiders before the 2025 season, then suffered through a 3-14 season in which he butted heads with the organization after he was shut down for the final 2 games of the regular season, ostensibly so the Raiders could secure the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft.
According to one report, at least 20 teams contacted the Raiders about trading for Crosby, and it’s not hard to see why.
In 7 NFL seasons since the Raiders drafted Crosby in the 4th round out of Eastern Michigan, he’s a 5-time Pro Bowler and 2-time NFL All-Pro with 69.5 career sacks and 111 career TFL — a category he’s led the NFL in twice, in 2022 and 2023.
In 2025, playing for the worst team in the NFL, Crosby had 73 tackles, 10.0 sacks, 28 TFL, 6 pass deflections, 1 interception, and 2 forced fumbles in just 15 games as the Raiders shut him down for the final 2 games of the regular season. It was a move likely done to make sure the Raiders secured the No. 1 overall pick.
Tony Adame covers the NFL for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Washington Commanders, Dallas Cowboys, Baltimore Ravens, Philadelphia Eagles and Denver Broncos. A veteran sports writer and editor since 2004, his work has been featured at Stadium Talk, Yardbarker, NW Florida Daily News and Pensacola News Journal. More about Tony Adame
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