LAS VEGAS — Las Vegas Raiders star defensive end Maxx Crosby believes the wild turn of events that saw his trade to the Baltimore Ravens that was rescinded after five days will only serve to take his game to a new level.

“I just feel like I’m meant to be a Raider and that’s it,” Crosby said on an episode of his podcast “The Rush,” which was released Tuesday. “I’m there to win and I want to win so bad. My passion is at an all-time high. This just adds another chip to my shoulder that I didn’t know I needed and didn’t know was coming. It’s going to be an incredible year.”

Crosby made his first public comments on the Ravens’ controversial decision to withdraw from a trade due to concerns over his physical examination from the team. The Raiders would have received two first-round picks had the trade gone through.

While the Ravens’ decision was within the rules, there have been questions about the ethics involved considering the team immediately pivoted to sign free agent Trey Hendrickson to a similar deal. It’s very rare for trades to be rescinded, but the immense value involved on both sides made it the biggest story in the league.

“I’ve gone through some (stuff) in my life, I can’t lie,” Crosby said. “But that whole situation was probably one of the most unique, crazy, wild up-and-down roller coasters I’ve ever been a part of for about five days.”

It started on Friday, March 6. Crosby had a large group of friends and family in town for a planned party to celebrate his six-year sober anniversary the next day. He got in the car to meet a group at Fontainebleau Las Vegas for a Power Slap event when he got simultaneous calls from his agent and Raiders general manager John Spytek informing him he would be traded to the Ravens.

“I didn’t know how to react. I was in shock,” Crosby said. “You hear these rumors, but you can’t really prepare yourself for the reality. I’ve been a Raider my whole career and I love being a Raider.

“It’s a mixture of excitement, shock, the unknown. All those things hit you at once.”

Crosby remained in Las Vegas for his event on Saturday and spent time processing everything on Sunday with friends and family before flying to Washington D.C., because it was the only direct flight from Las Vegas, on Monday and being driven “two hours” to Baltimore.

“That (expletive) was weak,” he said, getting a brief shot in at the team that ultimately decided against bringing him aboard.

He said he was able to get a workout in on Monday night and then arrived at the Ravens facility on Tuesday morning. A short time later, he was sent for imaging that mostly focused on areas where he has suffered injuries in the past, including the knee he had operated on in January for a torn meniscus.

Crosby also mentioned his labrum and ankles as past problem areas of which the Ravens wanted to get a better look.

Before heading back to the hotel and before he had any indication of any potential problems, Crosby asked to meet with Ravens head coach Jesse Minter.

“I dap him up and you could tell the energy was off,” Crosby said. “He had a blank face. I’m not thinking anything of it. Maybe he’s just different or whatever. He sat me down and said, ‘I don’t know how to say this, but one of our doctors has concerns with the results.’ They’re concerned about the future. We really want you and this is what it is, but we have to get more opinions.”

Crosby said his immediate reaction was fear. He knew he had been doing everything according to plan as part of his rehab from surgery done by one of the most respected doctors in the sports world, Neal ElAttrache.

“I was terrified, because I’m thinking, ‘What the (expletive),’” Crosby said. “Neal is my guy. He’s the best. I hadn’t talked to him or my agent, so I’m freaking out.”

Crosby said a conversation with ElAttrache ultimately calmed him down.

The surgeon assured him everything was on schedule and that his recovery process had been “100 percent” communicated with the Ravens in advance of the trade, so there should have been no surprises.

Crosby said he ate lunch and got in a nap in between communications with his agents and doctors as he waited for an update.

Ultimately, his agent, CJ LaBoy, informed him the Ravens had officially pulled out of the trade. Crosby said he saw the news on the ticker minutes later.

“I’m livid, confused,” Crosby said. “The whole nine all at once.”

Crosby said he and his wife, Rachel, quickly ate dinner and packed up before the Ravens lined up a private jet to fly back to Las Vegas. He arrived after midnight on Wednesday morning and said he was back in the Raiders facility before 6 a.m.

“People expect it to be weird or nervous, but everything happens for a reason.” he said. “I couldn’t have predicted it, nobody could have. I didn’t know what to say, but I’m not letting anybody knock my shine or making me feel weird. I know exactly who I am. I’m healthy and crushing my rehab. I’m meant to be a Raider and that’s it. Simple as that.”

Crosby said he took note of all the signings the Raiders made when he was not supposed to be a part of the team anymore, but truly got excited for all the new additions as he was back in the building and processed being part of the organization once again.

“It’s a crazy situation, but it’s just another chapter in the story,” he said. “It just made everything more clear. You think this was hard? I’ve been through way worse. I’ve been through real adversity. So I was calm.”

He steered clear of addressing whether he believes the Ravens backed out of the trade simply to save their draft picks upon realizing they could sign Hendrickson instead.

“Everyone has their own conspiracy theory,” he said. “Nobody will ever admit on either side what the real truth is and ultimately, it doesn’t matter. I am where I’m supposed to be. I know that.”

He joins a team that has made several key additions and now has his position coach and friend Rob Leonard as defensive coordinator. Crosby made clear he had nothing to do with that hire and wanted Leonard to be celebrated for a promotion he fully earned himself, but he is excited to work with him.

He’s also excited to prove he’s healthy and will be for the long haul, regardless of what so many commenters and pundits have had to say over the last week.

“There’s a ton of doctors out there, for sure,” he said. “But we don’t need to give them that attention. They don’t deserve it.”

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