When the Las Vegas Raiders agreed to ship five-time Pro Bowl edge rusher Maxx Crosby to the Baltimore Ravens for two first-round picks, it looked like the biggest defensive trade in years was done. Then it fell apart. Buried inside the chaos was an even wilder detail: Tom Brady, the Raiders’ minority owner, personally blocked at least one team from ever getting a shot at Crosby. One “no” from a quarterback-turned-power-broker, and a franchise’s entire trade calculus shifted.
$106.5 Million Man on the Block
Dec 14, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby (98) on the field after loss to the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
Maxx Crosby isn’t just another pass rusher. He signed a three-year, $106.5 million extension with $91.5 million guaranteed before the 2025 season, making him the highest-paid non-quarterback in the NFL at the time. Since entering the league as a fourth-round pick in 2019, Crosby has racked up 324 pressures—40 more than the next closest player, Nick Bosa. He leads all defensive linemen over that span with 133 tackles for loss and 278 solo tackles. You don’t move a player like that without sending a message to the rest of the league.
A Nightmare Season in Vegas
Jan 4, 2026; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders head coach Pete Carroll walks off the field after the Raiders defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 14-12 at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
Las Vegas went 3-14 in 2025, the worst record in football. Head coach Pete Carroll was fired after one season, his team won the opener against New England, then dropped 14 of their last 16 games, including a 10-game losing streak snapped only in the meaningless finale against Kansas City. Offensive coordinator Chip Kelly got axed on Nov. 24. It was dysfunction from top to bottom, and Crosby, who posted 10 sacks, 73 tackles, two forced fumbles, and his first career interception through 15 games, was the one blue-chip asset worth cashing in.
Brady’s Fingerprints Everywhere
Jan 19, 2026; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Tom Brady looks on from the sideline before the CFP National Championship college football game between the Indiana Hoosiers and the Miami Hurricanes at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Tom Brady isn’t supposed to run the Raiders. He’s a limited partner approved by NFL owners in October 2024. But behind the scenes, his influence stretches far beyond that title. He helped push out head coach Antonio Pierce and GM Tom Telesco after the 2024 season, then assisted in hiring Carroll and John Spytek. After Carroll’s firing, owner Mark Davis declared that Spytek would lead all football operations “in close collaboration with Tom Brady,” including the search for the next head coach. His longtime trainer, Alex Guerrero, has served as the team’s wellness coordinator, and according to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, as Brady’s “eyes and ears” inside the facility.
The One Team He Refused
Dec 7, 2025; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby (98) leaves the field following a game against the Denver Broncos at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
When Crosby hit the trade market, multiple teams came calling. The Dallas Cowboys and Jacksonville Jaguars both made offers. The Bears were also reportedly monitoring the situation. But one suitor never had a chance: the New England Patriots. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported that a source involved in the trade discussions said, “No way Tom was sending Maxx to Vrabel,” referencing Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel—Brady’s former teammate in New England from 2001 to 2008. Crosby himself had reportedly expressed interest in playing for Vrabel before the trade went down. Brady made sure that door stayed shut.
A Grudge, a Strategy, or Both
1. Tom Brady … But, for now, GOAT status most definitely remains with TB12, whose seven Super Bowl rings are still more than any NFL franchise possesses on its own. He’s got the jewelry, nearly all of the league’s notable passing marks and a record five Super Bowl MVPs. There’s so much more to an unparalleled NFL journey that began as an unheralded sixth-round pick of the Patriots. But you know the story. And you know there’s no debate here. At least not yet.-Imagn Images
Brady’s motivations drew immediate scrutiny. His departure from New England ended a dynasty, and despite his legacy there, he’s kept his distance from the organization since retirement. Before Super Bowl LX, he told Jim Gray on the Let’s Go! podcast that he didn’t have a “dog in the fight” when the Patriots were playing—a comment that upset many of his former teammates and figures around the league. Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy, a diehard Patriots fan, ripped Brady publicly after the trade report surfaced. Whether it was personal history or cold competitive logic, refusing to arm an AFC rival with an elite pass rusher, the result was the same. The Patriots never got a real seat at the table.
The Deal That Shook the League
Feb 25, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Baltimore Ravens senior special teams coach Randy Brown during the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
The Ravens’ offer blew past the competition: their 2026 first-rounder (No. 14 overall) and their 2027 first-round pick, straight up for Crosby. No other team matched Baltimore’s price. The trade was agreed upon late Friday, March 6, with the understanding it couldn’t become official until the new league year opened on March 11. For Las Vegas, it was the biggest haul they could pull, two premium draft picks to stack alongside the No. 1 overall selection they already held from their brutal 2025 campaign.
Then the Whole Thing Collapsed
Oct 19, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby (98) stretches during warmups prior to the game against the Kansas City Chiefs at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images
On Tuesday, March 10, the Raiders issued a terse statement: the Ravens had “backed out of our trade agreement”. The reason, reported by The Athletic’s Dianna Russini and confirmed by multiple outlets, was that Crosby failed his physical in Baltimore. The concern centered on his knee, the same meniscus that required offseason surgery after the Raiders shut him down for the final two games of 2025. Just like that, the blockbuster evaporated. Crosby, as of this morning, remains technically a Raider, and the franchise is back to square one.
What It Means for Vegas Now
Feb 28, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza (QB11) during the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
The Raiders still hold the No. 1 overall pick and are widely expected to draft Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza, the Indiana quarterback considered this year’s surest thing at the position. New head coach Klint Kubiak, hired on a five-year deal after coordinating Seattle’s Super Bowl LX-winning offense, inherits a roster with significant cap space and a defense that just lost its identity. But the Crosby situation is a time bomb. The relationship between him and the organization has been fraying since they placed him on injured reserve against his wishes. If Las Vegas shops him again, getting two first-rounders will be tougher now that every GM in the league has seen a failed physical attached to his name.
Power Moves in the Shadows
Feb 8, 2026; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Tom Brady waves before Super Bowl LX between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images
This story was never just about one trade. It’s about who holds the levers in the modern NFL. A minority owner can quietly close a door on a franchise he once built into a dynasty. A failed physical can unravel a deal worth two first-round picks overnight. And a defensive end who’s generated more pressures than any defender in the league since 2019 now sits in limbo, too expensive to keep, too risky to move, and too good to ignore. The Raiders’ next chapter starts with Kubiak, Mendoza, and whatever comes next for Crosby. But the lesson is already written: in the NFL, it’s not always the best offer that wins. Sometimes it’s the one “no” that matters most.
If you enjoyed this article please like and follow us here on MSN! Thank you for reading and have a great day!
Sources
Raiders reportedly trading 5-time Pro Bowl DE Maxx Crosby to Ravens — Yahoo Sports
Tom Brady Reportedly Did Not Want to Send Maxx Crosby to Patriots — Sports Illustrated
Why did Ravens back out of Maxx Crosby trade? Explaining failed physical — Sporting News
Raiders fire HC Pete Carroll following his first season in Las Vegas — NFL.com
Raiders officially name Klint Kubiak as new head coach — ESPN
Maxx Crosby NFL Contracts & Salaries — Spotrac
