Morning Sports Update
“Now is the time to make a splash move, and dealing for Crosby would qualify.”
Maxx Crosby during a Raiders game in December. AP Photo/Matt Rourke
February 17, 2026 | 11:08 AM
4 minutes to read
Maxx Crosby and the Patriots: Having reached the Super Bowl in the first season of the Mike Vrabel era only to fall to the Seahawks, the entire premise of the Patriots‘ offseason will seemingly be defined by what measures New England’s front office takes to go one step further.
In the spirit of that goal, one name has already started to stand out as a potential Patriots trade target: Maxx Crosby.
The 28-year-old defensive end has been a consistently great pass-rusher in his seven NFL seasons. During that time, Crosby has notched 69.5 sacks and has established himself as one of the league’s top defensive forces. Would the Raiders trade him?
“I think over a quarter of the league has already sort of sniffed around the possibility of, ‘Could we make a trade for Maxx Crosby.’ I do think there are teams out there, including the two that were in the Super Bowl, that would have an interest at looking at bringing in Maxx Crosby,” NFL insider Albert Breer said on “The Breer Report.”
“Would Tom Brady even entertain the idea of trading him to the Patriots?” Breer theorized. “I think Crosby would have at least some desire, potentially, to play for Mike Vrabel. He knows Josh McDaniels, the offensive coordinator there, who wouldn’t be coaching him directly but was with him in Vegas.”
Breer noted that the Patriots’ Super Bowl opponents, the Seahawks, “would also make sense.”
The Patriots’ specific salary cap situation is another factor that lends to the idea of a Crosby deal. Per New England beat reporter Doug Kyed of The Boston Herald, “Now is the time to make a splash move, and dealing for Crosby would qualify.”
“The Super Bowl also showed that a path to winning it all can come from generating unrelenting pressure that Seattle brought against Patriots quarterback Drake Maye,” wrote Kyed. “A player like Crosby, paired with [Milton] Williams, [Christian] Barmore, [Harold] Landry, [Elijah] Ponder and possibly [K’Lavon] Chaisson, can bring that game-changing pressure from all angles along the front seven.”
Drake Maye remains on his (cheaper) rookie contract, allowing the Patriots to potentially invest more money on other position. Leveraging the cap with a talented young quarterback on a more affordable contract is a method that other teams (including the 2013 Seahawks) used with great effect in Super Bowl runs.
On top of everything else, Crosby could end up in New England because of Vrabel. According to Dianna Russini of The Athletic, Crosby told her that “he wants to play for Mike Vrabel.”
Of course, much of the (speculative) trade discussion of Crosby implies that the player himself wants a Raiders exit (something that he has disputed). And Raiders’ leadership — most recently the team’s newly-appointed head coach, Klint Kubiak — have made it clear they want him to stay.
The price may also prove too steep for a Patriots team that is simultaneously trying to add depth in other positions.
“The Patriots could acquire Crosby with the intent that he pushes them over the top, but I’m guessing coach Mike Vrabel & Co. are more realistic about what they need in 2026 and add young talent to their core,” wrote ESPN’s Bill Barnwell in a recent overview of the Crosby discussion.
But if Las Vegas ultimately decides to deal the talented defensive end, analysts seem to agree that New England could be among the top bidders.
Trivia: Who is the only player to reach a triple-digit number of career sacks playing for the Patriots?
(Answer at the bottom).
Hint: He was selected by New England as a second-round pick out of Iowa.
Scores and schedules:
The Celtics return from the NBA All-Star break on Thursday on the road against the Warriors at 10 p.m.
The Bruins remain on an Olympics break until Feb. 26.
At the Olympics, the U.S. men’s hockey team will play in the quarterfinals on Wednesday, while the women will face Canada in the gold medal game on Thursday.
This Saturday, the Revolution begin the 2026 MLS regular season at Nashville with the kickoff set for 8:30 p.m.
More from Boston.com:
Jayson Tatum’s road to recovery: The Celtics star released a short video about his journey back to the court following the 2025 injury.
Worth the wait: At 41, and having collected bronze and silver medals at the 2010, 2014, 2018, and 2022 Olympics in bobsledding, Elana Meyers Taylor finally broke through at the 2026 Winter Games with a gold. The legendary four-time World Champion was understandably elated when her victory was secured.
On this day: In 1977, the Celtics outlasted the Kings 126-125 in overtime. Dave Cowens (seen below in a randomly humorous AP photo), led Boston with 33 points, 22 rebounds, and seven assists.
Daily highlight: From over the weekend, the newly-installed dual moguls competition at the Winter Olympics provided an absolutely electric sequence in which eventual silver medalist Ikuma Horishima of Japan crossed the finish line first after skiing backwards, having barely recovered from a nearly-out-of-control back flip.
“I CAN’T BELIEVE MY EYES.” 😳
Dual moguls madness as Nick Page skis out of the course for a DNF while his opponent, Ikuma Horishima, barely stays in control and skis over the line BACKWARDS for the win. pic.twitter.com/hFqqi5gnQE
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) February 15, 2026
Trivia answer: Andre Tippett
Hayden Bird is a sports staff writer for Boston.com, where he has worked since 2016. He covers all things sports in New England.
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