The NFL world is still reeling from the Baltimore Ravens' decision to back out of their blockbuster trade for Las Vegas Raiders edge rusher Maxx Crosby, but their reason for doing so might become clear very quickly. The Pittsburgh Steelers thought they were free of having to deal with Bengals pass rusher Trey Hendrickson, but he may be the player that the Ravens pivot to in the wake of the Crosby debacle.
According to NFL insider Jordan Schultz, an NFL general manager texted him a prediction that Hendrickson would sign with the Ravens now that the Crosby trade is dead.
Text from a GM: “Baltimore is gonna sign Trey Hendrickson. Watch.” https://t.co/YW3o1KE8A8
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) March 11, 2026
If that prediction comes to pass, the rest of the league (especially the Steelers) will be fuming over Baltimore somehow coming out on top while messing with the Raiders entire offseason.
The Ravens signing Trey Hendrickson would intensify the Pittsburgh Steelers' (and the whole NFL's) hatred towards them
I cannot stress enough how unprecedented this situation would be. Sure, plenty of teams have agreed to deals before the new league year began, only to walk them back for one reason or another. The Ravens have done so multiple times, mostly with free agent contracts being rescinded due to failed physicals.
But a trade for one of the NFL's top defenders? And one that involves two first-round picks? It was unheard of.
But now, the rest of the NFL will undoubtedly be wary of dealing with the Ravens moving forward. The Raiders have already made a ton of free agent moves with the idea that Crosby would be gone. What if they decide to walk back on some of those deals as a result? Agents, players, and NFL front offices will have every right to be angry.
The Steelers could probably go either way in terms of how they feel about the trade breaking down. On one hand, not having to play Crosby twice a year sounds pretty good. On the other hand, though, Baltimore would be giving up two valuable assets for an aging pass rusher.
If they turn around and keep Hendrickson in the division, however, that would change things completely. Hendrickson has been a thorn in Pittsburgh's side during his entire tenure with Cincinnati, racking up nine sacks in eight career games against them. When the Bengals chose to let him walk this offseason, it seemed like a lock that he would be leaving the AFC North.
If the Ravens plan to rebound from there decision not to trade for Crosby truly is to sign Hendrickson, Steelers fans will have even more reasons to despise their division rivals.