The Las Vegas Raiders caused quite a stir ahead of Week 17's game against the New York Giants when they informed Pro Bowl defensive end Maxx Crosby that he was getting shut down for the final two games of the 2025 NFL season.
Based on the way fans around the league are reacting, you'd think that this was the first time that a team sidelined a pivotal player with a nagging injury at the end of a lost campaign. In fact, it wasn't even the first time Las Vegas had done this with Crosby, as he missed the final four games in 2024.
Crosby's reported storming out of the building was the main topic of conversation in Raider Nation, as fans tried to put the puzzle together and figure out what it all meant for his future in Las Vegas. But the bottom line is that Crosby is hurt and shouldn't play, even if rival fan bases don't want to believe it.
Raiders place Maxx Crosby on IR, star expected to need knee surgery
On Saturday, the Raiders proved once and for all that Crosby was truly injured by announcing that they were placing him on the Injured Reserve list. Rookie undrafted free agent Jahfari Harvey will be signed from the practice squad to the active roster to take Crosby's place.
ESPN's Adam Schefter corroborated Las Vegas' choice to put Crosby on IR by reporting that the superstar defensive end is expected to need knee surgery that could sideline him into the offseason. While disappointing, there should go a faction of other fan bases thinking the Raiders made this up.
The fact of the matter is that Crosby has been dealing with this injury since Week 7's game against the Kansas City Chiefs, and they probably should have shut him down sooner. Protecting players from themselves, especially one of Crosby's persona and magnitude, is oftentimes tough, however.
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To accompany placing Crosby on IR, the Raiders released a statement clarifying their decision. The team also gave the fan base a bit of hope, as they claimed to be looking forward to having Crosby around into 2026 and beyond.
— Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) December 27, 2025
Obviously, this needs to be a mutual decision, as if Crosby is truly as frustrated as some believe him to be, then Las Vegas will have to find a solution. But even Schefter, known to have a disdain for the Raiders, doesn't believe that the relationship between the two sides is fractured.
Sunday's game between the Raiders and Giants will be an all-time tank fest, as both teams are clearly shutting players down and holding key guys out in an attempt to inch closer to the No. 1 pick. Crosby is the biggest piece of that, but it came for a good reason, and he is far from the only one.