Everything Jon Gruden Said About the Bucs Trading for Maxx Crosby in 2026

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have typically played it conservatively in the offseason since Tom Brady retired from football and left the team after 2022. Jason Licht was aggressive during Brady's tenure, signing any player Brady wanted in free agency, but from 2023 onward, Licht has relied on his draft picks and re-signing internal players as opposed to dipping in free agency and making any big splash trades.

That might have to change in 2026, though. The Buccaneers finished 8-9 after a 6-2 start, and there are quite a few areas to address on the team's roster — both with depth and starting-caliber players. There's plenty to think about both in free agency and with players on the trade block, and one Buccaneers legend has his idea on who they should go after.

Former Buccaneers Super Bowl-winning head coach Jon Gruden recently appeared on The Drive with TKras, and when asked about Las Vegas Raiders star pass rusher Maxx Crosby, Gruden made his opinion clear — the Bucs should go get him.

Jon Gruden thinks Buccaneers should make move for Maxx Crosby

Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Jon Gruden holds up the Vince Lombardi Trophy after winning Super Bowl XXXVIII | ROBERT HANASHIRO / USA TODAY NETWORK

Crosby, 28, is one of the NFL's premier pass rushers. He's had 69.5 sacks since 2019 and has had 10 or more sacks in three of his last four seasons. He's under contract with the Raiders, but rumors have been flying on whether or not the Raiders could put him on the block.

Gruden believes that Crosby is a game-changer, much like another former franchise legend in Simeon Rice.

"Yeah, I mean, if you're anybody, you make a big play for Maxx," Gruden said. "If you're the Raiders, you're one of the dumbest franchises in America if you let him outta there. He's under contract, and he's the best player on the team — I think he's arguably the most impactful edge rusher in football. Absolutely, I think that's a winning edge that a great defense has, it's a fourth-quarter pass rush. When we got Simeon Rice, things changed for us."

It would certainly be tough to get Crosby, and the Bucs would also have to deal with his large contract. Crosby signed a three-year, $106.5 million contract extension with $91.5 million guaranteed, and he only played the first year of that contract in 2025. He still has four years to go, and the Bucs would likely have to take that contract on.

For Gruden, though, Crosby would be worth it. He brought up how much Micah Parsons changed the Green Bay Packers when they traded for him, and he believes that Crosby would do something similar with the Buccaneers.

"I think the Buccaneers need to take a page out of the Green Bay Packers — they went out and got Parsons," Gruden added. "Perhaps Jason Licht can swing a deal to get a great rusher, and I'm sure he's looking at the guys that are available in this draft, as well. That's an area that the Buccaneers, I think we all realize they've got to improve upon."

It would certainly be tough for the Bucs to land Crosby, and it would be an unlikely move from Licht, who typically doesn't love making splash trades. But if they were to get it done, Tampa Bay could solve one of its biggest roster holes almost immediately.

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