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The Baltimore Ravens made the biggest move of the NFL offseason so far by acquiring five-time Pro Bowl defensive end Maxx Crosby from the Las Vegas Raiders for first-round picks in 2026 and 2027. One team that never had a shot at Crosby, however, is the New England Patriots.
According to reports, Las Vegas Raiders minority owner Tom Brady essentially refused to entertain the idea of trading Maxx Crosby to the New England Patriots, with ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reporting there was “no way” that deal would’ve happened.
The Patriots are coming off a 2025 season that saw them return to the peak of the AFC by advancing to Super Bowl LX (although they were ultimately dominated by the Seattle Seahawks in the big game).
Las Vegas Raiders minority owner reportedly refused to entertain the idea of trading Maxx Crosby to the New England Patriots
“One person involved in the trade made an interesting point about the Patriots’ chances at Crosby: ‘No way Tom [Brady] was sending Maxx to [Mike] Vrabel.” [via ESPN]
ESPN’s Adam Schefter added the Ravens beat out the Dallas Cowboys for Crosby, who were willing to offer a 1st and 2nd round pick in the NFL Draft.
In seven seasons with the Raiders organization, Crosby had had 278 solo tackles, 161 assists, 69.5 sacks, 3 fumble recoveries and 1 interception, and was selected to play in 5 Pro Bowls. Last year, Crosby appeared in 15 games and had 73 total tackles, 10 sacks and the first interception of his career.
Despite heading into their first season under rookie head coach Jesse Minter, the Baltimore Ravens currently find themselves trailing only the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks in terms of next season’s Super Bowl betting odds.