The New England Patriots failed to land Maxx Crosby in a trade before NFL free agency began last week. But after a failed deal with the Baltimore Ravens, Crosby getting traded to another team isn’t completely dead.
That’s what ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported Sunday on SportsCenter when he provided an update on Crosby and the new Raiders pursuit to move on from him.
“Everybody seems like they’re in a good spot, but since they’ve already looked at trading, they’re open to that possibility, potentially, if the right offer would come,” Fowler said, via Bleacher Report’s Doric Sam. “We’re looking at timelines here. Now is gonna be a little slow, but you get closer to the draft, perhaps trade offers will heat up, or even maybe closer to the season.
“But right now, he’s a Raider, and that’s expected for at least a little while.”
There are five and a half weeks until the 2026 NFL Draft. That doesn’t necessarily have to be a hard deadline for the Las Vegas Raiders. But if the Raiders want their trade compensation in return for Crosby to help them in 2026, the draft is likely the deadline to trade the edge rusher.
Maxx Crosby Trade Not Completely Dead: Report
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on March 6 the Ravens agreed to send two first-round picks to Las Vegas for Crosby. But on March 10, roughly 36 hours into the league’s legal tampering period, the Ravens cancelled the trade.
Crosby went back to Vegas. On March 11, the edge rusher posted a positive message on his return to the Raiders, which some fans and pundits interpreted as him expecting to play 2026 in Las Vegas.
“Everything happens for a reason,” Crosby wrote on X. “Believe nothing you hear and half of what you see.
“I’m a Raider. I’m back. Run that [expletive].”
However, Fowler’s report will give Patriots and other fan bases hope Crosby could still land with their team.
Had Crosby been an unrestricted free agent this offseason, he likely would have been the top player on the open market. He’s averaged nearly 10 sacks per season for his entire career and eared Pro Bowl nominations in each of the past five seasons.
In 2021 and 2023, Crosby made second-team All-Pro. He registered a career-high 14.5 sacks during 2023.
Last season, Crosby posted a career-best 28 tackles for loss with 10 sacks, 20 quarterback hits, six pass defenses and his first career interception.
Why the Patriots Could Still Pursue Crosby
After missing on the Crosby trade, the Patriots signed edge rusher Dre’Mont Jones in NFL free agency. New England inked Jones to a 3-year, $36.5 million deal.
Jones was one of the top free agent edge rushers. He’s coming off a career-high seven sacks and 24 quarterback hits in 18 games with the Tennessee Titans and Baltimore Ravens last season.
The Patriots, though, lost their No. 2 defender in sacks from last season. That was K’Lavon Chaisson, who signed in free agency with the Washington Commanders.
Jones is arguably just a replacement for Chaisson. That means New England’s edge rushing room isn’t any better or deeper.
That would change in a major way, though, if the Patriots acquired Crosby.
It’s not clear what the Patriots may or may not have offered the Raiders for Crosby before Las Vegas agreed to Baltimore’s terms. The Athletic’s Dianna Russini linked Crosby to the Patriots in February, though, because of the edge rusher’s admiration for head coach Mike Vrabel.
However, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported that one person involved in the Crosby trade to Baltimore told him, “No way Tom [Brady] was sending Maxx to [Mike] Vrabel.”
When Fowler reported that, it was a mere footnote in Crosby’s blockbuster trade to the Ravens. But now that Crosby is potentially available again in Las Vegas, Brady’s potential desire to avoid business with the Patriots is a major road block for New England to overcome for the edge rusher.
Patriots Get Lifeline on Potential Maxx Crosby Trade: Report