The Las Vegas Raiders are 2-13 with two games left in the season. If they lose their last two games, they will get the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
The Raiders know this, and with little left to play with, the team has been shutting down some key players. Star tight end Brock Bowers and starting safety Jeremy Chinn have already been placed on Injured Reserve.
Many eyes have been on star defensive end Maxx Crosby, who has been dealing with a knee injury all season. However, he’s always of the mindset that he’s going to play unless he physically can’t.
Ahead of the Week 17 matchup against the New York Giants, the Raiders have made the decision not to play Crosby for the game, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
As Rapoport noted, Crosby wants to play against the Giants, but the Raiders have gone against his wishes. Crosby is the ultimate competitor, so he’s never going to willingly sit out of games without some kind of fight. That said, with Las Vegas’ eyes set for the future, there is no reason to allow their star defensive end to risk injuring his knee further in two meaningless games that actually hurt the team more if they win.
Raiders Making Correct Decision
If Crosby were 100%, the Raiders couldn’t fully justify sitting Crosby. He’s been missing practice for weeks and clearly needs some time off. Couple that with the fact that the Raiders are racing toward the No. 1 pick, and there’s no reason he should be playing.
Crosby has said he doesn’t care about the draft pick, which he shouldn’t. His job is to try to win games, especially as a team captain.
“My job is to be the best defensive end in the world and that’s what I focus on everyday,” Crosby said ahead of Week 17, “and being a great leader, and being an influence and being that guy on a consistent basis for my team.”
Crosby will undoubtedly be uspet about the decision, but this is the only logical move for the Raiders to make. Las Vegas is playing two teams, the Giants and the Kansas City Chiefs, that have already started to shut down their rosters for the season. Even winning one of their games likely takes the Raiders out of the running for the No. 1 pick.
Could This Affect Crosby’s Future in Las Vegas?
Crosby has remained loyal to the Raiders despite only having one winning season since he joined the team. He even agreed to a contract extension in the offseason.
It’s clear that he wasn’t happy with the Raiders’ decision to shut him down for the season. This could potentially have long-term ramifications for the franchise. Crosby has been very vocal about wanting to win, but the Raiders aren’t close to building a contender.
Perhaps the team is already open to the idea of trading him this offseason. He’s their most valuable asset and could possibly land them two first-round picks in a trade. Based on this latest development, it seems more possible than ever that Crosby could want out.
Raiders Go Against Maxx Crosby’s Wishes With Latest Decision: Report