How the Ravens’ cold feet just rewrote the 2026 NFL offseason

Just when we thought the 2026 NFL offseason couldn’t get any wilder, the Baltimore Ravens hit the brakes on the biggest blockbuster of the year.

Less than 24 hours before the new league year officially kicked off, the Ravens backed out of their massive trade for Raiders superstar edge rusher Maxx Crosby. The agreed-upon price was steep—two first-round picks (including No. 14 overall this year)—but a failed physical due to Crosby’s ongoing recovery from January meniscus surgery sent Baltimore running.

This isn’t just a tough break for a player wanting a fresh start or a team needing a pass rusher. This single voided transaction has sent a shockwave through the entire NFL, completely upending free agency and draft strategies.

Here is a breakdown of the monumental ripple effects across the rest of the league, specifically what it means for the Washington Commanders.

The NFL Fallout: Chaos in Vegas and the Edge Rusher Dominoes

When a $35.7 million cap hit suddenly boomerangs back onto a team’s books, chaos ensues. The Raiders and the rest of the edge-needy teams in the NFL are scrambling to adjust.

• The Raiders’ Cap Nightmare: Las Vegas general manager John Spytek went on an absolute spending spree during the legal tampering period, committing over $183 million in guarantees to players like center Tyler Linderbaum, linebackers Nakobe Dean and Quay Walker, and edge rusher Kwity Paye. They spent that money assuming Crosby’s contract was off the books. Now? The Raiders have to frantically figure out how to become cap-compliant before these deals become official, meaning some of these massive free-agent agreements could be delayed or outright voided.
• The Trey Hendrickson Sweepstakes: The Ravens still have a glaring hole at edge rusher, and they just got two first-round picks back. With Crosby off the table and the Cowboys having already pivoted to trading for Rashan Gary, all eyes turn to Trey Hendrickson. As the top remaining free agent pass rusher, Hendrickson’s price tag just went up, and Baltimore is heavily incentivized to outbid the competition.
• A Tanked Trade Market: If the Raiders still want to move Crosby—whose relationship with the franchise is heavily fractured—they are going to have to settle for pennies on the dollar. After Baltimore’s medical staff balked, no team is going to give up multiple premium draft picks for a 28-year-old with a red-flagged knee.

What This Means for the Washington Commanders

While the Commanders weren’t the ones pulling out of the trade, they are sitting directly in the blast radius— and Adam Peters might just be able to use this chaos to Washington’s advantage.

1. The Odafe Oweh Signing is a Masterstroke: Washington already made their splash by locking down former Chargers/Ravens edge rusher Odafe Oweh to a massive four-year, $100 million deal. With the Ravens suddenly desperate for edge help and the market thinning out rapidly, Washington struck at the exact right time. If they had waited, they likely would have found themselves in a vicious bidding war with a panicked Baltimore front office.

2. Swooping in for Tyler Linderbaum? Washington desperately needs a long-term answer at center. Linderbaum agreed to terms with the Raiders, but if Las Vegas can’t clear the cap space to make the deal official because they are stuck holding Crosby’s contract, Linderbaum could hit the open market again. The Commanders, armed with a healthy amount of cap space, could easily swoop in and steal one of the league’s best young centers while the Raiders are busy untangling their finances.

3. A Discount Crosby Trade? Washington had been loosely linked to Crosby earlier in the offseason, but the two-first-round-pick asking price was too rich for a rebuilding team. Now that Crosby failed his physical, his trade value has plummeted. If the Commanders’ medical staff feels comfortable with his recovery timeline (his agent claims he is “ahead of schedule”), Adam Peters could potentially land a generational game-wrecker for a fraction of the original cost to pair opposite Oweh.