The New York Giants’ Week 17 opponents, the Las Vegas Raiders, are now publicly being accused of “tanking” after the latest NFL news.
With the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft potentially going to the loser of this matchup, the Raiders are choosing to shut down star pass rusher Maxx Crosby, according to NFL on FOX insider Jay Glazer. Crosby has been dealing with lingering injuries, which technically makes this move legal, but Glazer made it clear that the Raiders defensive end would prefer to play.
“Scoopage: Raiders told Maxx Crosby they want to shut him down [the] last two games,” Glazer reported on December 26. “Crosby, who has played with injuries for much of the year, vehemently disagreed and has left the building @nflonfox has learned. This could lead to questions on his future in Vegas.”
After this Raiders-Giants news came to light, NFL insider Ari Meirov reminded fans of a quote from Crosby earlier this week, which read: “Yeah, I don’t give a [expletive] about the [No. 1] pick. I don’t play for that. My job is to be the best defensive end in the world.”
Needless to say, this Crosby update caused quite the stir on social media, as the Giants and Raiders are both ruling out players left and right.
Giants & Raiders Both Accused of ‘Tanking’ After Maxx Crosby News as NFL Called Upon to Get Involved
GettyLas Vegas Raiders star edge rusher Maxx Crosby.
The Crosby news was the final straw ahead of the Giants versus the Raiders, as fans are now openly accusing one another of tanking — or purposefully trying to lose.
“I think you gotta take away [the Raiders’] pick for this,” Giants Nation podcast host Bobby Skinner weighed in, commenting on Glazer’s post.
Similarly, Big Blue Banter host Dan Schneier reacted: “This is the Raiders very legitimately ACTIVELY tanking. Never seen something like this so blatant and obvious. The Giants will not do the same. So it’s basically free $$ to bet the Giants ML tomorrow.”
The Raiders have already ruled out star tight end Brock Bowers (placed on IR), starting tackle Kolton Miller, and safety Jeremy Chinn (placed on IR). Crosby joins them, but make no mistake, the Giants have plenty of missing players, too.
On December 26, the G-Men ruled out left tackle Andrew Thomas, safety Tyler Nubin, rookie wide receiver Beaux Collins, rotational defensive lineman D.J. Davidson, and backup offensive lineman Evan Neal. They also listed starting center John Michael Schmitz as “doubtful,” with a few other role players designated as “questionable.”
Cornerback Cor’Dale Flott headlined the group of questionable Giants injury statuses.
So, as calls came in from Giants fans about the Raiders “tanking,” Las Vegas fans simply responded with screenshots of the NYG injury report. Round and round we go!
Giants & Raiders Are Only Remaining 2-Win Teams
With only one week remaining after Week 17, the loser of this game would have a very strong shot at landing the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 draft.
For starters, the Giants and Raiders are the only remaining two-win teams. So, assuming they don’t tie, the loser would be the only two-win team heading into Week 18.
In this scenario, one more Week 18 loss would guarantee the losing team the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 draft.
However, if the loser of the Giants versus the Raiders won in Week 18, it would cause even more chaos.
There are currently several three-win teams, including the Cleveland Browns, New York Jets, Tennessee Titans, and Arizona Cardinals. If the Giants and Raiders both finish with three wins, and all four of these other three-win franchises lose their final two games, it would then be a six-way tiebreaker for the No. 1 overall pick.
It would seem the Raiders and Giants are both trying their best to avoid such a scenario.
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