Tom Brady may have won six rings for the Patriots, but his loyalty now lies with the Raiders, the team in which he owns a minority stake. It goes without saying that he wouldn’t go out of his way to help his former team. But would he go out of his way and make things difficult for the Patriots?

Jeremy Fowler of ESPN suggested exactly that with his latest report. While the Dallas Cowboys were among the biggest names interested in trading for the Raiders’ star pass-rusher Maxx Crosby, the New England Patriots were in the mix, too. However, a deal with the latter never took place because Brady was reportedly against it.

“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’,” ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported.

Fowler’s source didn’t reveal why exactly Brady would block the Patriots. There have been no public clashes between the Patriots and Brady since his rocky exit from the franchise, where he won six Super Bowls in 20 years, to join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020. That said, Brady hasn’t sided with his former team since taking an ownership stake in the Raiders, even making some controversial comments about not having a team to root for in Super Bowl LX, featuring the Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks.

“I don’t have a dog in the fight in this one,” Brady told Jim Gray on the Let’s Go! podcast in early February. “May the best team win.”

Similarly, Brady and Patriots’ head coach Mike Vrabel don’t share any personal vendettas, as they were previously teammates in New England, starting in 2001. However, it’s been reported that Brady was reluctant to send the Raiders’ best player to his former team, since acquiring Crosby would only enhance New England, who were so close to winning the Lombardi Trophy last season.

And considering how the Patriots and the Raiders are both part of the AFC, and are scheduled to meet next season, Brady might not want Crosby helping a championship rival like the Patriots.

Regardless of the reason behind the move, Crosby’s exit had been on the horizon for some time. Reports surfaced late in the season suggesting the star wasn’t entirely pleased with how things ended, especially after being benched in the final stretch of games. Despite reportedly feeling healthy enough to contribute, the decision to keep him on the sidelines raised eyebrows.

Now, the player will go to Baltimore, another AFC team, but with a losing record of 8-9 in 2025. The Las Vegas Raiders received two first-round picks for Maxx Crosby.

The Ravens had been searching for a true difference-maker like Maxx Crosby. His inclusion could help push them past their postseason struggles and back to the Super Bowl for the first time since the 2012 season. In fact, his addition gives the franchise its most decorated and feared pass rusher in his prime since Terrell Suggs, the franchise’s all-time sacks leader, who played in Baltimore from 2003 to 2018.

Plus, for new coach Jesse Minter, who will be responsible for calling the defense for the Baltimore Ravens, Crosby’s addition carries major significance. Since joining the league in 2019, the player has produced 360 quarterback pressures. That is 29 more than any other player during that stretch, as per data from ESPN Research.

So, while the Raiders didn’t use Crosby to his fullest potential and ended the season with a 3-14 record, they are also ready to make other moves this offseason. They are in rebuilding mode.

Raiders expected to push for Super Bowl-winning WR in free agency

In a season where the Las Vegas Raiders finished fourth in the AFC West with just three wins, the team had issues in each department, with the offense being particularly problematic. The franchise was concerningly poor and ranked last in total offense with 245.2 total yards per game, with 25 touchdowns. Similarly, the Black and Silver ranked 28th and 32nd in the passing and rushing offense categories, managing just 241 points in 2025.

With the franchise expected to draft Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza, many analysts believe the Raiders could also push to sign Seattle Seahawks Super Bowl-winning wide receiver Rasheed Shaheed in the upcoming free agency. He might follow former Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak to Las Vegas.

In the 2025 season, Shaheed had 59 receptions for 687 yards and two touchdowns, to go with a kick return touchdown and a punt return touchdown.

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While these may not be star WR1 numbers, with Shaheed’s familiarity with Klint Kubiak’s offense and his versatility, his inclusion could present the Raiders with an exciting and proven offensive option to kick-start a challenging rebuild.