Maxx Crosby is back from Baltimore, back in the Sliver and Black and back from ... the dead?
Just more than 24 hours after the Las Vegas Raiders announced their trade of Crosby to the Baltimore Ravens for a pair of first-round draft picks had been "backed out" of, Crosby posted an emphatic message to social media with a gif of former professional wrestler The Undertaker emerging from a blazing coffin.
"Everything happens for a reason," he . "Believe nothing you heard [and] half of what you see. I[']m a Raider. I'm back. Run that s---."
NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Wednesday morning that Crosby had returned to Las Vegas with the mindset of moving forward and playing for the Raiders. One could surmise that Wednesday night's message indicates just that, but after an unprecedented 24-hour whirlwind, one can only really speculate what exactly Crosby means and what exactly is next for him and the Raiders.
Crosby remains a member of the Raiders roster, contracted through 2027, that much is certain.
He was reported to be traded to the Ravens on Friday. Though the trade could not become official until Wednesday's start of the new league year, Crosby had already spoken to the team's website for an interview and bid adieu to the Raiders -- still the only NFL franchise he's been a member of, technically.
On Tuesday night, social media exploded and the NFL news cycle soon did the same when the Raiders released a direct and short statement that read: "The Baltimore Ravens have backed out of our trade agreement for Maxx Crosby. We will have no further comment at this time."
By Wednesday morning, the Ravens had agreed to terms with pass rusher Trey Hendrickson and Baltimore general manager Eric DeCosta delivered a contrite news conference on Wednesday evening, conveying that nobody was more regretful than he was about how everything transpired, but that he had to do what was best for the Ravens,
Following the Raiders' announcement, NFL Network Insider Mike Garafolo reported the reasoning behind the Ravens reneging was medical. Crosby underwent offseason surgery to repair his meniscus, but Rapoport reported on Feb. 8 that the five-time Pro Bowler wasn't expected to be cleared by the beginning of the new league year, making the Ravens' decision all the more puzzling considering all the information known beforehand.
DeCosta never went into any specifics about Crosby's injury or the exact reasoning that Baltimore nixed the trade.
From Las Vegas to Baltimore and back, Crosby has been on a roller coaster with wings. Having been unhappy with the Raiders shutting him down and placing him on injured reserve to end the 2025 campaign, Crosby's latest sentiments suggest he's all in on returning to Las Vegas with a vengeance.
