The Las Vegas Raiders have traded star defensive end Maxx Crosby to the Baltimore Ravens, acquiring first-round draft picks in 2026 and 2027, a league source confirmed. The deal ends weeks of speculation about Crosby’s future with the franchise.

Crosby, 28, had grown frustrated with the team’s direction after the Raiders shut him down for the final two games of the 2024 season due to a knee injury. He wanted to play, but the decision was made to preserve his health. That incident, combined with another rebuild under new minority owner Tom Brady, general manager John Spytek, and coach Klint Kubiak, led Crosby to seek a trade.

The five-time Pro Bowler was the heart of the Raiders’ defense and a pillar of the Las Vegas community. His foundation supports teen substance abuse intervention, youth health, and animal rescue. He was the team’s 2025 Walter Payton Man of the Year and a five-time Commitment to Excellence winner.

But from a football standpoint, the move was necessary. The Raiders went 3-14 last season and have only one winning season and one playoff appearance in Crosby’s seven years. With the No. 1 overall pick expected to be used on Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza, Spytek needs assets to build around a rookie signal-caller. The Raiders now hold picks Nos. 1 and 14 in the upcoming draft.

“It was the correct move football-wise,” said Ed Graney, a columnist for the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “And that’s what matters. That’s what must matter.”

Crosby, a fourth-round pick out of Eastern Michigan in 2019, recorded four double-digit sack seasons and was one of the league’s premier edge rushers. His departure leaves a void on the field and in the community, but the Raiders believe the long-term payoff outweighs the short-term pain.