It has been said by everyone in the Las Vegas Raiders' building that the team doesn't have anything to play for but pride at this point in the 2025 NFL season. That doesn't mean that they're throwing in the towel, however, as both Pete Carroll and Maxx Crosby assured fans that they were trying to win.
Winning, however, would all put put the Raiders out of the running for the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. That has been the fan base's focus practically since October, but again, these games are a player and coach's résumé, so they won't be out there on the field trying to lose.
Las Vegas could, however, shut down a few key players with nagging injuries or start to rotate in their younger players more in an attempt to see what they have in the depths of their roster. But fans felt like if that was going to happen, it would have already.
Raiders place Brock Bowers and Jeremy Chinn on IR ahead of Week 17
With a Week 17 matchup against the New York Giants set to have massive ramifications for the top of the draft board, Raider Nation has been nervous that the team will ride its momentum from a strong showing against the Houston Texans and win on Sunday, screwing themselves out of the top pick.
On Wednesday, however, Las Vegas made a series of moves that just scream "tank." According to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, the Raiders are placing both star tight end Brock Bowers and starting safety Jeremy Chinn on Injured Reserve, ending their seasons.
Obviously, these players have real injuries that they'll need to recover from, and Pelissero acknowledged that. Bowers has been nursing a knee injury all year, and the Raiders reportedly made the decision in an attempt for him to focus on being fully healthy for 2026.
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Chinn, too, has been dealing with a back injury the last few weeks, and he was questionable heading into Weeks 14 and 15. However, he entered Week 16's game without an injury designation and played every single snap for the Las Vegas defense.
Jordan Meredith was also placed on Injured Reserve earlier this week, so that makes three key starters sidelined for the season ahead of Week 17. Considering these players all played last week, it is reasonable to assume that they could battle through it if Las Vegas were playing for something.
However, the Raiders have nothing to play for, and they are finally giving their veterans with lingering injuries a chance to heal. This will certainly frustrate Giants fans, but more importantly, it should help them recover and help with Las Vegas' draft position next year.