The New England Patriots are preparing to play in the biggest game of the season against the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl LX on Sunday.
Win or lose, the Patriots are set up to be a contending team for years thanks to head coach Mike Vrabel, second-year MVP candidate Drake Maye, and a roster built to give the top teams in the NFL fits week in and week out.
And while the 2026 season doesn’t start until September, next year’s Patriots roster could shape up to be even better than this year’s if some recent trade rumors end up being true.
Maxx Crosby May Be Playing for the Patriots in 2026
GettyLas Vegas Raiders DE Maxx Crosby
Las Vegas Raiders Pro Bowl defensive end Maxx Crosby has been front and center in trade rumors for weeks.
His relationship with the team seemed to fracture when the Raiders shut him down for the final two games of the regular season despite claiming he was healthy enough to still play.
Many believed Vegas was trying to tank for the No. 1 overall pick and didn’t want Crosby to injure himself still giving 100% on the field. That decision, it seems, may been the last straw for Crosby, who has been linked to the Patriots by several NFL insiders recently.
“As for this upcoming offseason, outside of just free agency, the thing that I’m going to be watching are these players who perhaps want trades,” The Athletic’s Dianna Russini stated on Wednesday.
“That’s what I want to see. Maxx Crosby doesn’t seem too happy in Las Vegas. Is he going to ask for [a trade] officially and ask out. Is that a guy … I can tell you I know he wants to play for Mike Vrabel. He’s told me that before.”
NFL Insider: Crosby Definitely Wants Out of Vegas
Russini isn’t the only NFL insider stirring the Crosby pot.
During an appearance on Yahoo Sports on Wednesday, Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer seemed confident that Crosby’s days in Vegas were over.
“Do you think his time with the Raiders is done?” host Jason Fitz asked.
“I do,” Glazer responded.
“Before the draft?” Fitz asked again.
“Yeah, probably,” Glazer stated.
Glazer also told Fitz and co-host Caroline Fenton that Crosby won’t play another down for the Raiders because he doesn’t want to be a part of another rebuild.
Vegas is likely to take Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza with the top pick in the 2026 draft in April. And with newly hired first-year head coach Klint Kubiak set to take over after the Super Bowl, it may be years before the Raiders are competitive again.
If the Patriots were to land Crosby, though, it would cost them a small fortune. Glazer believes the asking price for the 28-year-old pass-rusher will hurt whichever team does acquire him.
“He [will fetch] probably more than Micah (Parsons). … No less than 20 teams called me and asked, ‘Is this real? Can we get him?’ Yes [him wanting to leave] is real.”
Parsons was traded to the Green Bay Packers before Week 1 in exchange for two first-round picks and Pro Bowle defensive tackle Kenny Clark. A deal for Crosby may end up costing the Patriots at least two first-round picks plus more.
A Maxx Crosby-Patriots Trade May Be Closer to Happening Than People Think