An unlikely figure has emerged in the saga over Maxx Crosby’s nixed trade from the Las Vegas Raiders to the Baltimore Ravens.

Crosby, whose displeasure with the Raiders first emerged late last season, was on his way to Baltimore in exchange for a pair of first-round picks when the Ravens unexpectedly reneged on the reported deal.

While the Ravens have since moved on, agreeing to a four-year, $112 million deal with another defensive end, ex-Bengals star Trey Hendrickson, NFL fans are left wondering how the Crosby deal unraveled.

As reported by ESPN, that process began with Dallas Cowboys team doctor, Daniel Cooper, who reportedly took a dim view of the left knee Crosby had surgically repaired in January.

‘The Baltimore Ravens essentially failed him on their physical, and my understanding is there were multiple doctors that reviewed his MRI scans,’ said ESPN’s Adam Schefter. ‘There were doctors that examined him, including Dr. Daniel Cooper, the Dallas Cowboys doctor that performed surgery on Patrick Mahomes and Malik Nabers.

‘Many teams and players rely on Dr. Cooper’s expertise, and Dr. Cooper was one of the doctors who reviewed the images where the Ravens then felt compelled to back out of this trade.’

Crosby remains in Las Vegas after the Ravens backed out of their trade with the Raiders

Cowboys team physician Dr. Daniel Cooper reportedly took a dim view of Crosby’s MRI scans

But while ESPN is reporting that Cooper’s expertise led to questions about Crosby’s knee, NFL Network claims the Cowboys remain interested in the Pro Bowl defensive end.

‘There are teams that are going to be interested still in a Maxx Crosby trade, but there are a lot of things that they need to get answers on,’ NFL Network’s Pelissero said. ‘Starting with the medical.

‘I would specifically say, the other team that was in it at the end as we reported is the Dallas Cowboys. I am told the Dallas Cowboys would still be interested in a Maxx Crosby trade.’

The Daily Mail has reached out to Cowboys spokespeople for comment on both ESPN’s and NFL Network’s reports.

The Crosby trade, which would have seen the Ravens part with their 2026 and 2027 first-round picks, reportedly crumbled after Crosby failed a medical examination. And with that, Tom Brady’s Raiders rebuild took a wild twist.

He underwent knee surgery over the winter and that is said to be the reason for the decision 

While the Raiders’ medical staff had originally cleared Crosby, the Ravens’ evaluation flagged significant concerns regarding his recovery from offseason knee surgery.

Crosby has been rehabilitating from left knee surgery performed by the esteemed Dr. Neal ElAttrache. However, in response to the trade’s collapse, Crosby’s agent, CJ LaBoy, took to X on Tuesday night to push back against the medical narrative surrounding his client.

‘Maxx continues to be on track in his recovery and if anything is ahead of schedule according to his surgeon Dr. Neal ElAttrache,’ LaBoy posted.

The agent insisted Crosby remains on track to return during the offseason program and will ‘undoubtedly return as the dominant game wrecker he has been.’

Just moments before his agent’s statement, Crosby himself took to Instagram, posting a cryptic photo from inside what appeared to be a private jet.

Furthermore, Rapoport on Wednesday morning quoted a source close to Crosby saying that he ‘looks great and feels great’.

The wording of the statement on Tuesday night from the Raiders was fascinating, too. They didn’t say Crosby failed a physical, as was soon to be reported. They said the Ravens ‘backed out of the deal.’

Crosby’s agent, CJ LaBoy, took to X on Tuesday night to push back against the medical narrative surrounding his client

While Schefter reported the Raiders are currently ‘prepared’ to get Crosby healthy and have him play in Las Vegas, they are also actively ‘listening’ to other offers, the NFL insider said.

The Philadelphia Eagles remain a high-profile option, as Howie Roseman is still thin at edge depth and could restructure contracts to fit Crosby’s $30.7 million cap hit.

The Chicago Bears, armed with over $70 million in cap space, also have a massive need for a pass rusher to pair with Montez Sweat on their defensive front.

A homecoming for the Michigan native remains a theory among insiders, as the Detroit Lions look to bolster a pass rush that struggled for consistency last season.

Meanwhile, returning to a team after a 13-minute goodbye video is a psychological hurdle few players navigate, especially when the star was already ‘disgruntled.’

Crosby posted a cryptic photo onto his Instagram account shortly after the news broke

General Manager John Spytek has clearly shifted the Raiders into an all-out rebuild mode, positioned to take Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 overall pick.

The Raiders went on a $281.5million spending spree when free agency opened on Monday, too, orchestrated in part by Brady, who is actively involved in the team’s rebuild.

The headline arrival was the addition of former Ravens center Tyler Linderbaum, while defensive reinforcements for the anticipated post-Crosby era came in the likes of Kwity Paye, Nakobe Dean and Quay Walker.

Do they now line up with Crosby in 2026? Or will Las Vegas be forced to back out of some agreements with Crosby’s $35 million salary still on the books for 2026.