Former NFL team physician addresses controversy involving Ravens, physical for Raiders' Maxx Crosby

Las Vegas Raiders star pass-rusher Maxx Crosby recently made it known that he's less than thrilled with the events that resulted in him failing a physical and the Baltimore Ravens backing out of a trade to acquire him. 

Crosby may not be fully cleared for football-related duties until "June or early July" following the meniscus repair he needed earlier this winter. On Thursday, Jayna Bardahl of The Athletic spoke with former Seattle Seahawks team physician Dr. Ashwin Rao, who is now a team physician at the University of Washington, about why Crosby isn't a Ravens player heading into the spring. 

Why Ravens may have backed out of Maxx Crosby trade

"From my standpoint as an outside observer, I just assumed that the Raiders and the Ravens had different perspectives on the health of Maxx’s knee," Rao explained. "One of the challenges is that somebody may come in for a physical, and as you do your assessment on that person’s body part that you’re concerned about, or maybe their overall health, you start to determine or worry that this person has an injury history that may not allow them to play through their contract as it’s currently constructed." 

Some have accused the Ravens of getting "cold feet" about sending the Raiders two first-round draft picks for a 28-year-old coming off a significant injury. Others feel that Baltimore viewed trading for Crosby as a "plan B" that became unnecessary once the club learned it would be signing former Cincinnati Bengals pass-rusher Trey Hendrickson 

Crosby signed a three-year, $106.5M extension last offseason. That makes him quite an expensive asset regarding both his deal and what the Ravens were willing to give up to get him. 

Ravens weren't just worried about what Maxx Crosby will be next season

"It’s not necessarily an A, B, or C grade," Rao added about team physicals. "But it’s a perspective that is shared about whether this person is going to be able to handle the rigors of an NFL season or multiple NFL seasons." 

It now seems that the Raiders and Crosby will stay married, if only because it's likely no team will match Las Vegas' asking price for his services before he plays another down. Only time will tell if the Ravens were wrong or right regarding their evaluations of a player who may feel he has something to prove this coming fall.