Ravens' Eric DeCosta Reacts to 'WWE Heel Turn' with NFL Fans After Backing Out of Maxx Crosby Trade

Baltimore Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta is happy to embrace the idea he was the bad guy when the team backed out of a trade for Las Vegas Raiders star Maxx Crosby.

The Athletic's Michael Silver relayed how one Ravens executive thought DeCosta "turned heel," which is wrestling parlance for when a good guy becomes a villain.

A pro wrestling fan growing up, DeCosta enjoyed the characterization:

"Wrestling was huge in the '80s in Massachusetts I loved wrestling. I remember when I was 11 and Jimmy Snuka got hit in the head with a coconut by Rowdy Roddy Piper, and I started crying. I thought it was real. I think (eventually) even Jimmy Snuka, who was one of my favorite guys, turned heel. So that expression really resonated with me. Someone said, 'You turned heel,' and I'm like, 'Holy s--t, I did! I'm reviled now by a lot of the football fans.'"

The Ravens agreed to trade two first-round picks to the Raiders for Crosby, only to have second thoughts. They reportedly grew concerned about something from the five-time Pro Bowler's physical.

Baltimore ultimately landed a different marquee edge-rusher, signing Trey Hendrickson to a four-year, $112 million contract.

The organization's handling of the situation didn't go down well around the NFL. Mike Sando of The Athletic reported on April 2 that "league insiders suspect Baltimore acted in bad faith."

Speaking with Silver, DeCosta said he "knew that it was going to be a s--tstorm" when news of the canceled trade filtered out.

There was even one idea that rival teams might be hesitant to work with Baltimore moving forward.

DeCosta pushed back on that notion.

"I do get phone calls from GMs," he told Silver. "I do talk to agents often about deals. I have GMs who are calling me about trades. So I think maybe that storm has subsided, and we're open for business again."

During the 2026 NFL draft, Baltimore traded up to the No. 133 pick in order to get SMU tight end Matthew Hibner in the fourth round. While that wasn't a blockbuster deal, the San Francisco 49ers had no qualms about working with DeCosta.

Grading Matthew Hibner Pick

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He repeated his assertion about whether the Ravens can successfully collaborate on transactions.

"That narrative can no longer be repeated," he said.

Mutual trust is a necessary component to conduct routine business in the NFL. Prospective free agents or fellow GMs need to be confident that somebody in DeCosta's position will negotiate in good faith.

Having said that, a general manager is tasked with doing what's best for his team. Being pragmatic doesn't always make you friends, and DeCosta has no problem with that.

"He's unique in that he's got exceptional intelligence, but he also has that Boston grit and toughness bred in him," one NFC executive said to Silver. "He's a true Masshole that is afraid of no one, and I say that as a huge compliment."

Setting aside all of the machinations behind the scenes, how Crosby performs over the next few years will determine in the end whether the Ravens were right or wrong in deciding against the trade.