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The Las Vegas Raiders are in contention for the No. 1 overall pick, and they might have just inched a little closer to it.
The Raiders play the New York Giants in Week 17, and both teams are 2-13. A loss for either team greatly increases their odds of the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
The Raiders will be without two of their top playmakers in the game against the Giants. The team placed star tight end Brock Bowers and safety Jeremy Chinn on season-ending injury reserve, the team announced Wednesday.
Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers before the game against the Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia on Dec. 14, 2025. (Eric Hartline/Imagn Images)
Bowers has battled a knee injury since Week 1. He was limited to 12 games but still had 64 catches for 680 yards and seven touchdowns, and was named to the Pro Bowl this season.
Last season, Bowers caught the most passes for a rookie in NFL history. In 17 games, he had 112 catches for 1,164 yards and five touchdowns.
RAIDERS STAR DOES NOT ‘GIVE A S—‘ ABOUT POTENTIALLY LANDING THE TOP DRAFT PICK AMID ROUGH SEASON
Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers catches a touchdown pass against the Texans at NRG Stadium in Houston on Dec. 21, 2025. (Troy Taormina/Imagn Images)
Chinn, on the other hand, has been one of the best defenders on the Raiders this season. The safety has 114 tackles with one sack, three tackles for loss and two forced fumbles.
The Raiders signed safety Terrell Edmunds and wide receiver Shedrick Jackson to the active roster and long snapper Luke Elkin and tackle Joshua Miles to the practice squad.
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The Giants and Raiders will play in their high-stakes game on Sunday at 4:05 p.m. ET in Las Vegas.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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https://www.foxnews.com/sports/raiders-place-star-tight-end-injured-reserve-before-huge-game-giants
