In 2026, Adam Schefter reported that the Las Vegas Raiders were not actively shopping Maxx Crosby, cooling potential New England Patriots trade speculation.
The key development is Crosby’s return to Las Vegas after a trade to the Baltimore Ravens was rescinded. Musket Fire identified Khalil Mack and Tuli Tuipulotu as possible alternatives while discussing the Patriots’ need for additional pass-rush help.
That leaves Crosby as a difficult name to connect to New England. Schefter’s reporting describes the Raiders’ current posture, while Musket Fire’s candidate list and trade scenarios represent analysis rather than a reported Patriots transaction.
Patriots pass rush outlook shifts after Crosby returns to Las Vegas
Musket Fire said Crosby was traded to Baltimore before the deal was rescinded because of lingering injuries, sending him back to the Raiders. The sequence briefly put one of the league’s most prominent pass rushers into the trade conversation before his situation changed.
Adam Schefter reported that Las Vegas was not actively shopping Crosby. That report is the clearest obstacle to any hypothetical New England pursuit because it describes the Raiders as keeping the player outside the active trade market.
Musket Fire characterized the earlier Crosby trade buzz as part of a broader conversation about Las Vegas and also examined what a major deal could require. Those ideas belong to the outlet’s analysis. They are separate from a reported offer, negotiation or agreement involving the Patriots.
Why a Maxx Crosby trade may be off the table for New England
The Patriots’ potential interest in Crosby is therefore speculative. Musket Fire presented the player as a possible fit for a team seeking more pressure from its front, but the outlet did not identify a New England trade proposal involving him.
That distinction matters for the Patriots’ trade-deadline outlook. Crosby’s return to Las Vegas is a reported roster development, while New England’s connection to him comes from the broader trade discussion. Schefter’s account of the Raiders’ posture makes the distinction especially important.
Musket Fire also discussed other pass rushers who could be considered in a wider trade market. Its list includes Mack, Tuipulotu and Josh Sweat, along with YaYa Diaby, Will McDonald IV and Nolan Smith. The names are candidates in the outlet’s analysis, not evidence of contact or negotiations with New England.
Khalil Mack and Tuli Tuipulotu offer different pass-rush profiles
Musket Fire cited the following current-season statistics for Mack and Tuipulotu. The same analysis also listed Sweat’s current sack total and his 2025 production.
The figures cited by Musket Fire give Tuipulotu the higher totals in combined tackles and quarterback hits, while Mack has the larger totals in tackles for loss and sacks. Tuipulotu’s listed production also includes an interception, three passes defended, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery.
Those numbers provide statistical context for the alternatives, but they do not turn the players into confirmed Patriots targets. Musket Fire’s analysis places them in a possible trade conversation for a team looking for pass-rush help.
Josh Sweat and other names in the trade discussion
Musket Fire said Sweat has two sacks during the current season after recording 12 sacks in 2025. The previous-season figure gives his listing additional context, while the current total is the production identified for the present campaign.
Musket Fire also named Diaby, McDonald and Smith among its trade candidates. The outlet’s list expands the discussion beyond Crosby, Mack, Tuipulotu and Sweat, giving Patriots fans several names to monitor as part of the league’s broader pass-rush market.
The list covers different types of speculation. Crosby’s situation is shaped by the rescinded Baltimore trade and Schefter’s account of the Raiders’ posture. Mack, Tuipulotu, Sweat, Diaby, McDonald and Smith appear in Musket Fire’s analysis as potential alternatives, with the cited statistics offering the available production context.
What the Patriots trade deadline options look like
Musket Fire’s analysis points to a Patriots pass rush that could use additional help, but its candidate list should be read as a set of possibilities rather than a confirmed New England plan. Crosby remains tied to Las Vegas in Schefter’s reporting, while Mack, Tuipulotu, Sweat, Diaby, McDonald and Smith are the alternative names identified by Musket Fire.
Readers following the evolving market can use the Patriots trade rumors tracker for additional developments involving Crosby, Mack, Tuipulotu, Sweat, Diaby, McDonald and Smith.
