Dallas Cowboys fans knew better than to believe Jerry Jones’ “bust the budget” mantra, just as they didn’t buy his “all-in” pitch two years ago.
Trading for Maxx Crosby, however, would have backed up both claims. The Cowboys nearly pulled it off, too, as reports indicated they were runners-up to the Baltimore Ravens before Baltimore backed out of its blockbuster agreement with the Las Vegas Raiders.
The Ravens cited Crosby’s failed physical in their official statement. Speaking to reporters at the NFL’s annual league meeting in Phoenix, Jones all but confirmed the Cowboys would have done the same (h/t Adam Hill, Las Vegas Review Journal).
“There’s no hidden item there — you’ve got to pass a physical. We’ve never completed an agreement until the player passes the physical. We would have had the same conditions with the physical.
As you know, we were in on making an offer for him. So he would have come to Dallas, and we’ll all just guess what would have happened.”
The “bad faith” crowd isn’t going to enjoy reading that quote.
Jerry Jones all but says the Dallas Cowboys would've backed out of a Maxx Crosby trade
Jones didn't go as far as to say that Dallas would've followed Baltimore's lead, but he didn't have to. And it makes you wonder if other interested teams would have done the same.
A five-time Pro Bowler, Crosby was shut down for the final two games of the 2025 season and later underwent surgery in January to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee.
It’s not exactly a surprise that Crosby didn’t pass a physical, especially considering the Cowboys’ team physician, Dr. Dan Cooper, was among the specialists the Ravens consulted before pulling the rug out from under Las Vegas. It stands to reason he relayed some concerning intel back to Dallas’ decision-makers.
It's one thing to back out of the trade because of a failed physical. What makes Baltimore look so shady is that they reportedly communicated with free agent Trey Hendrickson before bailing on the Raiders. They went on to sign Hendrickson to a four-year, $112 million contract.
Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta claimed the team hoped to land both Crosby and Hendrickson, but that’s tough to believe.
It’s hard not to wonder if Baltimore was already having second thoughts before Crosby failed his physical. After losing multiple contributors in free agency, giving up two first-round picks would have made reloading even more difficult.
The “bad faith crowd” still has a leg to stand on. But knowing how much Jones loves making headlines — and how much star power the Cowboys need on defense — it’s pretty bonkers that he walked away from the biggest move of the NFL offseason.
That almost vindicates Baltimore's decision, as shady as it looks in retrospect.