The Las Vegas Raiders’ season has gone about as bad as it could go, and with two weeks left in the season, the team has shut down two of its best and most consistent players in Brock Bowers and Jeremy Chinn.
The team announced that both Bowers (knee) and Chinn (back) have been placed on injured reserve, ending their season with two games to go, via Ryan McFadden of ESPN:
The Las Vegas Raiders have placed starting tight end Brock Bowers and safety Jeremy Chinn on injured reserve, sources told ESPN.
The moves officially end both players’ season ahead of Sunday’s matchup against the New York Giants, in which the loser will assume control of the No. 1 pick in the 2026 draft.
Bowers has been dealing with a knee injury all season long, as he originally suffered it in the Raiders’ Week 1 victory over the New England Patriots. He tried to play through it for three weeks, but was clearly not himself, leading to the Raiders sitting him out for three games.
Once he returned, he looked much more like the All-Pro who dominated opponents as a rookie, and he still led the Raiders with 64 receptions for 680 yards and seven touchdowns. Bowers was recently named to the Pro Bowl for a second consecutive year, joining star defensive end Maxx Crosby as the only two Raiders to get the honors.
Chinn was one of the Raiders’ biggest offseason acquisitions and was a consistent member of the defense. The safety has started all 15 games this season and is second on the team with 114 tackles while also adding three tackles for loss, two forced fumbles and two passes defensed. Chinn had been playing through a back issue for most of the past month, but has now been shut down.
The timing of the decision by the Raiders is sure to raise some eyebrows, as this team has been out of the playoff picture for some time now. But with the team set to face the New York Giants, and the loser gaining sole possession of the top pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, many are sure to feel like this is a strategic move by the Raiders to increase their chances.
Obviously, the players themselves care nothing about that, and Crosby has already shot down the idea that he is in any way thinking about draft position. But Sunday’s matchup will be one to keep an eye on regardless.
ESPN projects Raiders to select Oregon QB Dante Moore in 2026 NFL Draft
Of course, having the top pick in the 2026 NFL Draft will give the Raiders their choice of the top prospects, and most would assume the team is eyeing a quarterback in the draft. A recent ESPN mock draft projected the team to select Oregon QB Dante Moore, though Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza, the 2025 Heisman Trophy winner, will certainly be an option if the Raiders have the number one pick.
