With Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson, Rams’ secondary is now built to thrive

Nate Atkins

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7112465/2026/03/13/trent-mcduffie-jaylen-watson-rams-secondary/?source=emp_shared_article&unlocked_article_code=1.S1A._-TB.Fwggj3Lwmoms&smid=ta-ios-share

WOODLAND HILLS, Calif. — When the blockbuster trade hit social media and the realization of returning home to Los Angeles to become a Ram hit the bloodstream of Trent McDuffie, his phone started buzzing.

It was Puka Nacua on FaceTime. And all McDuffie heard from there were screams from his former Washington Huskies teammate.

Just days later, the Rams needed a second cornerback to play opposite the two-time All-Pro in McDuffie. And when they agreed to sign former Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Jaylen Watson on Monday morning, McDuffie was the one placing a call to his former teammate.

“I called him again like Puka screaming at the top of my lungs, like, ‘Look at this! Can you believe it?’ ” McDuffie said. “He’s one of those guys that I love to tell his story. He is a seventh-round pick. Not a lot of people believed in him. He worked hard day in, day out. Again, he’s one of those guys that was able to live out his dreams as a Kansas City Chief.

“The relationship and the respect I have for ‘J-Wat’ knowing what he’s going to bring to this team, the hard work, the grit, the attitude and the overall swag of being a football player. I think it would be really helpful having both of us in here, adding to the culture.”

This duo of former Chiefs cornerbacks and two-time champions is the latest aggressive bet the Rams are placing in pursuit of another Super Bowl.

They arrive to a defense that is no longer the lowest-paid in the NFL, as it was last season, when it finished in the top 10 in scoring defense but regressed in the playoffs, culminating in a 31-27 defeat to the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC Championship Game.

The defensive makeup has transformed already through three secondary deals: McDuffie on a four-year extension for $124 million at $31 million per season, making him the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history; Watson on a three-year, $51 million deal; and strong safety Kam Curl returning on a three-year, $36 million contract.

Combine those three signings with star safety Quentin Lake’s three-year, $38.3 extension from last season, and all of a sudden, the Rams have taken their pass defense from a unit constructed to survive to one built to thrive. It’s a vision that coach Sean McVay and general manager Les Snead laid out after the season to maximize the window for reigning MVP Matthew Stafford in his 18th NFL season.

“I saw the tenacity. I saw the hunger,” McDuffie said of watching the Rams in the NFC Championship Game. “I saw guys doing well. I saw when guys messed up and how they came back and made it right. I saw all these caveats that, as a football player, I love to see. Like I said, when the Rams were on the board, I knew what team I was walking into.”

Snead said he was after an All-Pro in the secondary if he could find one. Ultimately, he saw just one available in McDuffie — on the trade market. The price tag would be massive in a bidding war for a 25-year-old two-time Super Bowl champion and two-time All-Pro, especially when he was on a fifth-year option salary of just $13.6 million for 2026.

The Rams sent out first-, fifth- and sixth-round picks this year and a third-round pick next year to land McDuffie, whom they then made the highest-paid cornerback in league history.

It’s a swing reminiscent of the one they made for Jalen Ramsey in 2019, which helped set the stage for a Super Bowl run two years later.

This iteration of the Rams doesn’t have a first-ballot Hall of Famer wrecking the front lines as Aaron Donald did. However, it does have a trio of pass rushers in Pro Bowlers Jared Verse and Byron Young, as well as Kobie Turner, that can collectively take over a game.

That was the model the Rams banked on the past two seasons to overcome a lack of investments in the secondary. It allowed them to win playoff games each season, but it was not enough in a passing league to break through to the Super Bowl.

So, Los Angeles began its path toward experience and impact in the secondary by extending Lake last season. He’s the captain of the defense and versatile enough to play nickel cornerback, strong safety or free safety in the dime looks the Rams deploy more often than any team in the league.

However, his return for the postseason felt muted when opponents targeted the outside cornerbacks on either side, who were often playing in predictable shells and zone coverage out of a fear of allowing explosive plays.

The secondary had some flashes, including the game-saving overtime interception that Curl made in a divisional-round playoff win over the Chicago Bears. That play, in addition to a breakout season in which he was second among defensive backs with 122 tackles while playing 99 percent of the Rams’ defensive snaps, set Curl up to cash in his first major contract.

By signing Lake and Curl first, the Rams were able to pinpoint outside cornerbacks with specific traits and expertise that could allow the playmaking and impact out of those safeties to shine. They identified two from the Chiefs, who have won two Super Bowls in the past four seasons.

McDuffie is expected to primarily play on the outside with Los Angeles, given Lake’s strong presence in the slot and with Curl at strong safety.

However, McDuffie expressed to his new coaches a desire and willingness to play both inside and outside, which could create scenarios where he bumps inside in a dime set or plays nickel, with Lake subbing in for either Curl at strong safety or Kam Kinchens at free safety. The Rams can do this at times with Emmanuel Forbes Jr. offering 22 career starts at outside cornerback.

With physical cornerbacks like McDuffie and Watson on the outside, the Rams can live in more press-man coverage. Watson has been a force in the red zone, as he has not allowed a touchdown catch on 85 targets over the past two seasons, according to Sports Info Solutions.

The way the vision all came together had McVay calling Watson and taking his turn to shout into the phone.

“He was like, ‘I hope you’re excited to come.’ I was like, ‘Yes, sir, I’m excited.’ He was like, ‘Well, you’re not as excited as I am,’ ” Watson said. “He’s just full of energy. I love him.”

McDuffie and Watson have grown closer through their championship pushes the past four seasons, as they’ve also contrasted each other’s journey — McDuffie from a first-round pick into an All-Pro and Watson from a seventh-round pick into a key player at a premium position.

McDuffie can serve as an introduction to Watson on the scheme and approach of new Rams defensive backs coach Jimmy Lake, who recruited and coached McDuffie at the University of Washington.

“He’s one of those guys that I always say is a perfectionist, but also just a great human being,” McDuffie said of Jimmy Lake. “He’s going to coach you very hard. He’s going to want you to be at your best. He’s going to want you to play perfect technique, and he’s going to coach you exactly that way, really hard, every single day, consistently, which I love because that just shows you how much he cares.”

McDuffie also has a natural lane to become one of the faces of the Rams, even as a new player on a team already full of stars and ready to contend. In addition to becoming the highest-paid cornerback in league history, McDuffie is embracing the chance to be a face for his hometown after playing at St. John Bosco High School in Bellflower, less than 20 miles from SoFi Stadium.

After walking the halls of the Rams’ facility in Woodland Hills for the first time with friends and family, McDuffie was taking himself back to his junior year at St. John Bosco, when the Rams were the new NFL team in his hometown, and his family was learning about them through HBO’s “Hard Knocks.”

“We listened to Sean McVay,” McDuffie said. “I remember just being like, ‘Dang, I would love to play for that guy.’ From that show, there’s just something about him. One day, I would love to play for him.

“Fast forward all these years, and now I’m here. It’s just like a full-circle moment.”

McDuffie planted the seed for this marriage in August at a fan event in Kansas City, where he answered a question from the crowd about which team he’d like to play for that isn’t the Chiefs. He responded with his hometown Rams.

That’s why the reaction can involve some screaming.

“Even given the opportunity to play here and then on top of it, you give me a contract like this, for me that holds a lot of weight,” McDuffie said.

“I definitely have a responsibility to stand up here and face you guys when things are wrong. When things are going good, sing my praises and just being one of those guys that when teams think of the Rams, they can look at me and be like, ‘OK, that’s what it means to be a Ram. That’s what this team is about.’ ”

Rams are investing in special teams for first time in a long while https://t.co/mpOjD0raml

— TurfShowTimes (@TurfShowTimes) March 13, 2026

from PFF: Highest-graded edge defenders from the 2025 NFL season — https://www.pff.com/news/nfl-highest-graded-edge-defenders-from-the-2025-nfl-season-will-anderson-jr-comes-in-at-no-1

10. Byron Young, Los Angeles Rams (83.6)

Young broke out in a big way in 2025 after two subpar seasons with the Rams to start his career, joining Will Anderson Jr. and Myles Garrett as the only three edge defenders ranking among the top 15 in pass-rush (81.2) and run-defense grade (77.8). His 52 defensive stops were the most for any edge defender this season as well.

from Highest-graded interior defenders from the 2025 NFL season: https://www.pff.com/news/highest-graded-dls-from-the-2025-nfl-season-cameron-heyward-leads-the-list

4. Poona Ford, Los Angeles Rams (86.0)

The Rams signed veteran Poona Ford last offseason in the hopes that the big nose tackle could add some punch on the interior of their defensive line. He succeeded in his first season with the team. Ford had the best campaign of his career in 2025, setting career highs in pressures (34) and stops (33).

His 10.7% run-stop rate was seventh among defensive tackles, and his 78.6 PFF run-defense grade was fifth at the position. Ford was a quiet game-changer for the Rams in 2025.

from PFF, Highest-graded RBs from the 2025 NFL season: https://www.pff.com/news/nfl-highest-graded-rbs-from-the-2025-nfl-season-kenneth-walker-iii-comes-in-at-no-1

7. Kyren Williams, Los Angeles Rams: 85.2

Williams never really had a dominant rushing performance on the season, as he never rushed for more than 110 yards in a game and only finished with one other 100-yard performance. However, he rushed for 1,485 yards on 312 carries thanks to his remarkable consistency, as he only rushed for under 50 yards in a game twice while posting a rushing grade sub-60.0 just once (Week 5 against the San Francisco 49ers, which was also the only game where he didn’t force a missed tackle).

from PFF: Highest-graded guards from the 2025 NFL season:n — https://www.pff.com/news/nfl-highest-graded-players-2025-nfl-season

3. Kevin Dotson, Los Angeles Rams (87.3)
Since arriving in Los Angeles in 2023, Dotson has quietly rounded into one of the premier guards in football. He turned in his best season to date in 2025 with a career-best 87.3 overall PFF grade and a 90.3 PFF run-blocking mark. Moreover, Dotson’s 3.8% pressure rate was the 12th-best at the position.

9. Steve Avila, Los Angeles Rams – 75.0

Avila also developed immensely during his third pro season, compiling a career-high 75.0 overall PFF grade. His 3.3% pressure rate given up was the fifth-highest among guards, and his 72.3 PFF run-blocking grade placed 12th. The Rams have a very bright future between him and Dotson.

from PFF: Highest-graded centers from the 2025 NFL season: https://www.pff.com/news/nfl-highest-graded-centers-2025-nfl-season

10. Coleman Shelton, Los Angeles Rams (70.9)

After one season in Chicago (2024), Shelton returned to the Rams in 2025, where he played from 2019 to 2023. It was an up-and-down season for the eighth-year veteran, who recorded a career-high 77.2 PFF run-blocking grade (seventh) and also the fifth-worst PFF pass-blocking grade (53.1) among centers.

Since 2023, Shelton ranks 11th in PFF run-blocking grade (78.2) among centers. He excels in the Rams’ zone-blocking scheme, where he earned a sixth-ranked 82.1 PFF run-blocking grade in 2025.

Shelton is sometimes a liability in pass protection, having allowed the fourth-most pressures in the same span (86). Although he ranks near the bottom in pass protection (56.4 PFF pass-blocking grade since 2023, ninth worst), his pressure rate has gradually gone down in each of the past three seasons.

from PFF, Highest-graded tackles from the 2025 NFL season: https://www.pff.com/news/highest-graded-tackles-from-the-2025-nfl-season-penei-sewell-leads-the-pack

8. Alaric Jackson, Los Angeles Rams – 84.2

The Rams re-signed Jackson to a lucrative three-year deal last spring, and he was yet again strong in protecting Matthew Stafford’s blindside. Jackson’s 84.2 overall PFF grade was a new watermark for him, and he also improved his run-blocking with a career-best 86.1 grade. Further, Jackson was sound again in pass protection with a 75.8 PFF pass-blocking grade and a 96.7 pass-blocking efficiency score.

from PFF: Highest-graded players from the 2025 NFL season at every position — https://www.pff.com/news/nfl-highest-graded-players-2025-nfl-season

1. Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams (91.9)

Winner of both the NFL and PFF MVP awards, Stafford orchestrated one of the most productive seasons from a quarterback in decades. The Rams’ signal caller is still reaching new heights, as his 91.7 PFF passing grade marked a new career-best for Stafford, while his 4.48 wins above replacement led the NFL by a full win.

Even at 37 years old, the 17-year veteran still possesses one of the best arms in the league, as his 58 big-time throws ranked as the third most in the PFF era (since 2006) and outpaced the next quarterback on this list this past season by more than 20.

zn wrote:

Arye Pulli@AryePulliNFL
Stuard had a career-high 83.0 PFF special teams grade in 2025.

Nate Atkins@NateAtkins_
I covered this guy on the Colts. Great special teams coverage player and a super fun energy to add to the linebacker room.

from https://www.si.com/nfl/lions/onsi/news/impact-of-linebacker-grant-stuard-departing-detroit-lions

The Detroit Lions have lost a significant special teams contributor in free agency.

According to multiple reports, linebacker Grant Stuard is signing a two-year free agent contract with the Los Angeles Rams that is worth up to $5.05 million.

Signed last offseason after a stint with the Indianapolis Colts, Stuard led the team in special snaps (375) and appeared in all 17 games. He recorded 19 tackles.

…

Stuard was popular in the Lions locker room, largely due to his energy and relentless effort at practice. He expressed he would often pick the brains of his teammates to pick up anything he could to add to his game, whether at linebacker or on special teams.

“From Day 1, I just put my head down and tried to learn from guys like Kalif (Raymond), David (Montgomery), and just continued to take reps and continued to get better. Working in different weather like today (rain), it was different,” said Stuard, via MLive. “Taking the gloves off, just realizing different little things and understanding how to set up the blocks. I’m a guy who kind of just wants to run through folks…. Just the reps. The reps and the reps and the reps are just something that I have been grateful for.”

wv wrote:

Damn. I was wondering what they were gonna do as far as special teams.

And they havent even added the draft picks yet.

w
v

There’s also the new long snapper. I’ll re-post that stuff here:

zn wrote:
Rams Tapes@RamsTapes
Former Patriots (LS) Joe Cardona has signed a two-year deal with the Los Angeles Rams.

wv wrote:

Cardona

wiki

“…On May 2, 2015, the New England Patriots selected Cardona in the fifth round (166th overall) of the 2015 NFL draft,[7] making him the fourth pure long snapper to be drafted in NFL history (and the second drafted by the Patriots, after Jake Ingram).[8]

…He was a contributor to the Patriots as they defeated the Atlanta Falcons by a score of 34–28 in overtime.[14][15] Cardona had an active role in the game on seven special teams plays.

..On March 21, 2023, Cardona re-signed with the Patriots on another four-year contract extension worth $6.3 million, making him the highest-paid long snapper.[21]

September 2, 2024, Cardona was announced, for the first time in his career, as a team captain for the Patriots

Insane: Aaron Donald has gone viral for his incredible strength while training in his pool with water bottles.

Many people don't realize how hard this is.

😱😱😱 pic.twitter.com/solyvwWxGW

— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) March 12, 2026

Adam Schefter@AdamSchefter
Dolphins are signing former Rams free-agent wide receiver Tutu Atwell to a one-year deal, per source. Atwell is from Miami and now returns home.

wv wrote:

part of the post-stafford apocalypse. Or is it a dystopia?

I know yer just jokin, but…apocalypse is when you lose stuff. Dystopia is when things do exist, but, they’re badly run and the bosses are mean.

So the 27 Rams without Stafford would be post-apocalyptic.

Adam Grosbard@AdamGrosbard
Asked Jaylen Watson if he feels he can fill the Rams’ need for physical CB play: “I think that’s my strength. That’s why I think me and Trent compliment each other so well. His strengths are the short area quickness, the small shift of guys, my strength are the bigger receivers.”

Greg Beacham@gregbeacham
Trent McDuffie says he watched Sean McVay on Hard Knocks years ago and wished he could play for that guy someday.

McDuffie’s first call with McVay was congrats followed by 10 minutes of football talk. “I was like, ‘Man, I love this. I’m a football guy. I can do this all day.’”

McDuffie says he’d be happy to play on the outside or in the slot — or anywhere: “I’ll play safety. I’ll put my hand in the dirt if I have to. I hope I don’t have to.”

The Maxx Crosby trade fiasco, the Ravens’ motivations and how the NFL world reacted
A split image of Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta, on the left, and Raiders pass rusher Maxx Crosby, on the right.

By Mike Sando and Jourdan Rodrigue

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7110500/2026/03/12/maxx-crosby-trade-reversal-ravens-raiders-reaction-nfl/?source=emp_shared_article

The new league year began Wednesday with Maxx Crosby still a Las Vegas Raider, the Baltimore Ravens still the owners of their first-round picks over the next two years, and the NFL still buzzing over the continuing fallout from the blockbuster trade that wasn’t.

Not even 24 hours earlier, the Ravens shocked the Raiders and 30 other NFL teams by backing out of their trade agreement for Crosby, the star edge rusher for whom they were prepared to deal their 2026 and 2027 first-round draft picks. Crosby, The Athletic first reported, did not pass his physical with the Ravens after undergoing evaluations by their medical staff Tuesday — four days after the two teams agreed to terms.

In the minutes and hours following Baltimore’s departure from the trade agreement, reactions from other team executives, coaches and agents ranged from skepticism of the Ravens’ motives — especially after they quickly agreed to a deal with Trey Hendrickson — to wariness of future dealings with the organization. One at least wondered whether the Ravens had intentionally gamed the system by waiting to see if they could land Hendrickson before clearing Crosby. Most didn’t believe that the unique situation would actually have any long-term effect on how teams do business with Baltimore general manager Eric DeCosta.

And some brought up the oft-overlooked risk of assuming any transactions are final until physicals are completed and the new league year begins, which in this case happened Wednesday at 4 p.m. ET.

The Athletic spoke about these issues with more than 20 figures around the NFL, who were granted anonymity to speak freely due to the sensitive nature of their comments.

The acquiring team has wide latitude in determining whether or not a player passes his physical because every organization weighs medical data differently. A red flag to one may not be to another. Famously, the Miami Dolphins were close to signing Drew Brees in 2006, but their doctors wouldn’t sign off on the quarterback’s surgically-repaired throwing shoulder. Brees signed with New Orleans instead and became a Hall of Famer.

The longer-term outlook on the 28-year-old Crosby’s left knee, as ascertained by their team doctors and independent consultants, was the Ravens’ concern, league sources told The Athletic. Crosby had surgery to repair a torn meniscus in the knee in January.

Then on Wednesday morning, the Ravens agreed to a four-year, $112 million contract with Hendrickson, the 31-year-old edge rusher who was poised to become a free agent as the new league year began. Like Crosby, Hendrickson is also coming off a significant injury. He had core-muscle surgery in December.

“Having not seen (Crosby’s) MRI, it is hard to tell, but it definitely feels like buyer’s remorse,” an executive from another team said.

Others saw the Ravens’ decision as more calculating.

DeCosta said Wednesday that the Ravens hoped to acquire both Crosby and Hendrickson, and that they began talks with Hendrickson following the departure of center Tyler Linderbaum — who happened to agree to a market-setting, three-year, $81 million deal with the Raiders on Monday.

DeCosta did not address Crosby’s failed physical or any medical concerns, nor did he seem concerned about any damage to the organization’s reputation after pulling out of the agreement.

“We live in that age of skepticism, and people question, especially people that don’t really know me or know the Ravens’ culture and the Ravens’ organization. I understand it,” DeCosta said. “I’ve got a responsibility for the Ravens, to this community, to our fans and to (owner) Steve Bisciotti to do what we think is best for the club.”

Executives around the NFL voted the Ravens’ front office first and second in polling conducted by The Athletic in 2024 and 2025. There can be a fine line between being shrewd and deceptive.

Multiple agents, executives and coaches referred to Baltimore rescinding its trade offer as “bad business,” with one prominent agent noting that NFL transactions are a matter of repeating business, where relationships and trust matter. A veteran agent called the move a shock, but “not a surprise when you think of who is involved.” That was consistent with what two executives said about the Ravens’ reputation for, as one put it, “f—ing with people.”

Sources noted that anything discovered in the Ravens’ separate medical evaluation of Crosby should not have surprised them. The league at large has known the details of Crosby’s meniscus surgery since mid-February. NFL teams are allowed to exchange medical information during the negotiation process. It’s not clear what information about Crosby was shared between the Raiders and Ravens.

One senior executive with another team said that the typically transparent collaboration between medical personnel across teams represents “one place in the NFL where there is honor amongst thieves.”

The Ravens still agreed to trade terms that the executive called “out of character” for them — they had never before traded a first-round pick for a player — despite having at least some knowledge of Crosby’s medical risk.

“The fact that they were conservative on the physical is more aligned with how they are as an organization,” the executive said.

The Ravens have backed out of agreements before. In 2020, they were poised to sign defensive lineman Michael Brockers to a three-year, $30 million contract before his physical raised concerns about his ankle (Brockers had five sacks in 15 starts with the Los Angeles Rams that season). In 2018, Baltimore nullified a four-year, $29 million agreement with receiver Ryan Grant because of a failed physical. Grant signed with the Indianapolis Colts and had 35 catches and a touchdown in 14 games in his single season there.

This is not unique to the Ravens. The Raiders rescinded a five-year, $42.5 million agreement with free-agent O-lineman Rodger Saffold in 2014 because of a shoulder injury found during his physical. He played eight more seasons, mostly as a starter.

Teams can also choose to renegotiate terms if they find something concerning during a physical — and this usually leads to draft picks and/or money becoming conditional.

DeCosta didn’t answer directly when asked Wednesday whether the Ravens attempted to renegotiate terms for Crosby. “At some point, you get to the point where you look at the situation, you just have to make the right decision,” he said. “It’s not always about the value.”

The Raiders’ statement on Tuesday — which placed the onus on Baltimore for backing out of the agreement — did not suggest any attempt to work out new terms. The Ravens did not release a statement of their own or comment until DeCosta spoke Wednesday evening.

A senior executive from another team pointed out that there was no deadline after the initial agreement to come up with a solution, should the teams have wanted to renegotiate after Crosby’s physical.

In 2017, the Houston Texans’ trade of left tackle Duane Brown to the Seattle Seahawks stalled just before the trade deadline because cornerback Jeremy Lane, who was part of the returning compensation, failed his physical in Houston. Lane reverted to the Seahawks’ roster, but the sides amended the deal to complete it before the deadline. Instead of trading Lane and second- and fifth-round picks, Seattle sent second- and third-round picks for Brown.

One team executive thought it was most likely the Ravens played the Crosby and Hendrickson hands simultaneously, after gathering intel on Hendrickson’s market at the combine, to maximize their chances of landing one. This executive believes the Ravens would have preferred to sign Hendrickson without giving up draft capital to trade for Crosby, but that they couldn’t be sure they’d outbid other teams in free agency.

“I cannot believe whoever did the Ravens’ analytics said, ‘It would be better for us to not have two first-round picks with Maxx Crosby instead of having Trey Hendrickson with those picks,’” he said. “I just can’t believe that was said. And I can’t believe that that analysis wasn’t done in late February, the first couple days of March.

“If they could not get Hendrickson, they were going to go through with the Crosby trade, in my opinion. They were willing to pay that premium in draft choices as insurance.”

If, under this scenario, trading for Crosby was the Ravens’ fallback option, they might have had less urgency to complete his physical, this executive suggested. If the process dragged into the legal negotiating window, which opened at noon on Monday, Baltimore could get a clearer sense of its chances to land Hendrickson before committing to Crosby.

Such an approach would not inherently break any rules. The Raiders also could have insisted on wrapping up the deal quickly.

“They should have demanded that the physical take place immediately,” the executive said. “Because when you’re heading into free agency, you can’t live with that uncertainty.

“Normally, both teams have an equal level of urgency. But this was a case where it was a huge advantage for the Ravens to wait to see if they could get Hendrickson.”

Meanwhile, two league sources also expressed dismay for Crosby, who seems like the only actual victim of the situation. A failed physical, despite all teams weighing medical information differently, can paint a player as damaged goods. Crosby wanted out of Las Vegas by the end of last season. Now, either the Raiders must accept a lower-value trade than they had built with the Ravens, or he will stay for the foreseeable future. Wednesday night, Crosby posted on social media, “I’m a Raider. I’m back.”

The Ravens’ decision to rescind the trade is an extreme example of the risks associated with the NFL’s legal tampering window — the ultimate reminder that nothing becomes official until the new league year opens, contracts are signed and trades are completed.

As one senior team executive put it, it’s always subject to the physical.

“You see these headlines that so-and-so signed,” another team executive said. “No, nobody signed. Everybody has agreed. Nothing is finalized until we get to Wednesday, so anything is possible, and they have the right to back out for any reason they want.”

In one of the most extreme examples, the Patriots enlisted then-commissioner Pete Rozelle to help them partially undo their 1971 trade for Dallas Cowboys running back Duane Thomas — after Thomas had practiced with New England.

“I’m not saying this happened with Baltimore,” Upton Bell, the Patriots’ GM from 1971 to ’72, said by phone Wednesday, “but let’s say Crosby gets to Baltimore. He is still recovering from the injury. And then somebody comes into you and says, like they did to me, ‘Are you sure you want to make this deal?’ You are getting criticized. Do you really want to give up two No. 1s?”

There is only one way out at that point: the failed physical.

Two decades later, Green Bay Packers GM Ron Wolf spent weeks working on a trade to acquire quarterback Brett Favre from the Atlanta Falcons.

When the sides finally agreed to terms, Green Bay’s GM was ecstatic. Wolf was also fearful the Falcons might back out if too much time passed. Wolf formalized the trade through the league office without a physical. His heart sank upon learning the Packers’ medical staff worried that a degenerative hip condition might limit Favre to only three or four seasons.

“I’m thinking I’m fired,” Wolf said in a 2021 interview.

Wolf won out, and Favre set an NFL record for consecutive starts (321, including playoffs). The risk paid off.

This week will be remembered for the trade that didn’t go through. While some league sources expressed wariness about working with DeCosta in the future, especially on high-profile or high-risk negotiations, none believed there would be any long-term fallout from the situation. If a team wants to make a deal it believes will help win games, it will.

DeCosta apparently isn’t worried about any tangible consequences either. He told reporters in his news conference that the quashed deal has not stopped his phone from ringing.

“It’s not a good look for the Ravens,” said another veteran agent, “but I don’t think they care.”

— Jeff Howe and Dianna Russini contributed to this story

“The Niners have NOT had that kind of receiver who could win one on one on the outside in a NUMBER of years…”@GregCosell breaks down new 49ers WR Mike Evans: pic.twitter.com/TXxWDXYX0M

— Ross Tucker Podcast (@RossTuckerPod) March 12, 2026

While the ⁦@RamsNFL⁩ acted aggressively to turn a deficiency into a strength, the ⁦@Seahawks⁩ lost key players this week.

Are the Rams the best team in the NFC, now?

It looks that way. The latest: https://t.co/Z8wzsqAzMT

— Vincent Bonsignore (@VinnyBonsignore) March 12, 2026

• This reply was modified 2 months, 4 weeks ago by Zooey.