Raiders play the New York Giants on Sunday with the No. 1 pick in next draft possibly riding on the outcome
PublishedDecember 28, 2025 11:21 AM EST•UpdatedDecember 28, 2025 11:41 AM EST
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The Las Vegas Raiders have done very little by way of winning games this season, but this week they are giving the perception that perhaps they’re trying to lose – as in, on purpose – to gain the No. 1 overall pick in next spring’s NFL draft.
Upset Maxx Crosby Leaves Raiders
The Raiders on Saturday placed defensive end Maxx Crosby and tight end Brock Bowers on injured reserve. And that typically doesn’t raise eyebrows when a club puts its injured players on the shelf to recover from injuries.
Except Crosby and Bowers are arguably the team’s two best players. And Crosby, at minimum, vehemently disagreed with the decision he should be done playing for the season.
FOX Sports reported Crosby was so upset he asked for and received permission to leave the team.
And, yes, that could lead to questions about Crosby’s future with the team.
Crosby, On IR, Shooting Hoops
But the bigger question is whether it could also lead to the NFL investigating the saga because what happened next raises questions about integrity of the game that the Raiders and the NFL should answer.
The problem begins with what Crosby did after he left the team and went home.
He posted on Instagram photos of himself playing on a trampoline with his little girl. And he posted videos of himself shooting hoops at an indoor court he has in his home.
And while playing on a trampoline and shooting hoops with his daughter are not congruent with being able to play in an NFL game, it also doesn’t scream Crosby is unable to participate in physical activity and should be placed on injured reserve.
Are Raiders Tanking For Top Pick?
Because there he was elevating for a couple of jump shots and dribbling behind the back without apparently favoring his knees.
So why does this matter?
Because the Las Vegas Raiders play the New York Giants on Sunday afternoon. And both those teams, carrying the weight of their pathetic 2-13 season, are tied for the worst record in the NFL.
And the loser of this game is almost definitely going to earn the No. 1 overall pick in next April’s NFL draft.
So the Raiders disqualifying Crosby for medical reasons, obviously against his will and apparent ability to engage in some athletic activity, raises questions about the integrity of the game. Because it sure looks like the Raiders just disqualified their two best players on the eve of a game in which they might earn the top pick in the draft if they lose.
OutKick reached out to the Raiders and the NFL about this question. We want to know from the league if there will be an investigation to determine whether the Raiders are basically tanking the final two games of this season for competitive reasons tied to next year’s draft.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – FEBRUARY 05: NFL commissioner Roger Goodell speaks to the media during a press conference ahead of Super Bowl LVIII at Allegiant Stadium on February 05, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Goodell Serious About Integrity Of NFL
Neither the league nor the Raiders have responded.
Some Raiders fans might look at this and conclude it is the smart thing to do. But NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has been a staunch guardian of all things he believes are tied to the integrity of the game.
He has gone so far as suspending Dolphins owner Stephen Ross when the league found he tampered with multiple employees from another team in an investigation that also looked into Ross offering to pay his head coach to lose games, allegations Goodell termed in part “very disturbing.”
None of this would implicate Crosby as wanting to tank games at the end of this season. He’s been clear on his stance as he’s continued to play despite managing the knee injury he suffered at midseason.
“Yeah, I don’t give a s— about the pick, to be honest,” Crosby told reporters on Tuesday. “I don’t play for that. My job is to be the best defensive end in the world.”
