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The Las Vegas Raiders‘ Thomas Booker received bad news heading into their Week 17 game against the New York Giants. On December 27, the NFL announced its Gameday Accountability report, and due to his actions in Week 16 against the Houston Texans, Booker was on the list of fines.
As part of the fine process, players are informed of any violations and have the right to challenge the ruling. Appeals are reviewed by officers and former NFL players Derrick Brooks, Ramon Foster, or Jordy Nelson, who are jointly selected and compensated by the NFL and NFLPA.
Moreover, their decisions are final and must be accepted. As for Booker, he received a fine for an incident in the fourth quarter at the 2:20-minute mark for an unnecessary roughness play as he committed a facemask. Following the incident, the NFL is fining Booker $5,722.
Raiders Made Maxx Crosby Decision for Week 17
The Raiders have made roster changes heading into their Week 17 game against the New York Giants. Las Vegas will rely on Booker to get to the quarterback, as Maxx Crosby won’t be available for this contest.
On December 26, the Raiders decided to keep Maxx Crosby sidelined against the Giants due to a knee injury, according to a report from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. Moreover, FOX Sports NFL insider Jay Glazer reported that Crosby vehemently disagreed and left the building after learning about Las Vegas’ decision.
Moreover, head coach Pete Carroll confirmed on December 26 that the team will shut the star pass rusher down for the rest of the season, but isn’t upset with Crosby’s response.
“No, matter of fact, I anticipated it all the way throughout,” Carroll said of Crosby’s reaction. “… He’s just been fighting his (expletive) off the whole time; he’s positioned himself implcably. As good a competitor as you can be. You can’t battle more than he’s battled.”
Maxx Crosby Had No Interest in Tanking
Earlier in the week, Crosby was asked about the tanking talk surrounding this game. Both teams could have the inside track to landing the No. 1 pick next year, but the veteran pass rusher had no interest in the draft implications and only wanted to go out and play.
“I don’t give a sh– about the pick,” Crosby told reporters on December 23. “To be honest, I don’t play for that. That’s not my job. My job is to be the best defensive end in the world, and that’s what I focus on every day: Being a great leader, being an influence, and being that guy on a consistent basis for my team.
“That’s their job. That’s the front office; the coaches do that. But that’s got nothing to do with me. I’ve learned that lesson in the past. You can’t control everything. And that’s not my job description. My job is to be the best in the world at what I do, and that’s wrecking the game.”
It will be interesting to see if both sides can mend fences in the offseason. Nonetheless, there is a possibility that the relationship between the two sides could be strained, leading to a trade, as the Raiders need to enter full rebuild mode.
Eduardo Razo Eduardo Razo is a sports journalist covering the NFL for Heavy.com. He previously covered the league for NBC Sports Washington and NBC Sports Bay Area & California, and has contributed as a freelance writer for The Sporting News. He also served as an editor for Athlon Sports and Heavy Sports focusing on MLB and the NFL. More about Eduardo Razo
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