Maxx Crosby is back like he never left – because he didn’t.
The Las Vegas Raiders star defender was famously traded to the Ravens ahead of free agency, but the deal was never finalized after Baltimore backed out. It was a failed physical for the 28-year-old that derailed the blockbuster and sent the NFL world into a frenzy.
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While the trade never officially happened, it begs the question – how can Crosby and the Raiders continue to have a good working relationship? General manager John Spytek spoke about that in an interview with the Raiders’ YouTube channel.
“My relationship with Maxx since I’ve gotten here has been great,” Spytek said. “We had a lot of conversations throughout the season, at the end of the season obviously, through the offseason and obviously we were presented with a difficult decision to make.
“Things have a way of going a certain way and working out the way they’re supposed to. We welcomed him like he never left, because he really never did.”
While the Ravens pivoted quickly to signing Trey Hendrickson, the Raiders were left to pick up the pieces with Crosby after a free agent spending spree of their own.
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Crosby appears to have no ill will towards the team, at least publicly. The star shared a message in a post to social media after the trade fell through.
“Everything Happens For A Reason,” Crosby wrote on X. “Believe Nothing You Hear & Half Of What You See. Im A Raider. I’m Back.”
Crosby then addressed the situation on “The Rush” podcast to give his side of the story.
“No one will ever admit what the real truth is,” Crosby said on the March 17 episode. “Ultimately, it doesn’t matter. I am where I’m supposed to be.”
As he continues to rehab from a knee injury, it remains to be seen whether the Raiders will look to trade Crosby again. ESPN’s Ryan McFadden reported that the asking price remains high for the five-time Pro Bowl defender, but teams are hesitant to meet that.
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It appears that Crosby will remain with Vegas in the short term and neither side seems to have a problem with that.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Raiders John Spytek addresses failed Maxx Crosby trade for first time
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