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(Photo by Steve Marcus/Getty Images)
The Las Vegas Raiders‘ losing streak extended to 10 games after their 34-10 loss to the New York Giants on December 28 at Allegiant Stadium. Moreover, the loss gives the Silver and Black the inside track to securing the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft should they lose to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 18.
Ashton Jeanty was one of the bright spots in the contest from the Raiders as their rookie running back recorded 73 total yards from scrimmage. After an impressive game against the Houston Texans in Week 16, it was a minor step back.
Following the Raiders’ latest loss, Jeanty was asked whether this awful season is fueling him for 2026, which could feature a new head coach and starting quarterback.
“It’s been a terrible season for us,” Jeanty told reporters (h/t Hondo Carpenter of On SI). “I’m going to be working doing everything I can to get better [and] be able to lead this team better next year, just come back way better… We’ll see what happens, but I’m always going to have faith that things get better.”
In the final game of the season against the Chiefs, Jeanty has the opportunity to reach the 1,000 rushing yard mark as a rookie. Jeanty has had 240 carries for 888 yards and has scored 10 touchdowns in 16 games this season, per StatMuse.
Nonetheless, with the No. 1 pick not yet secured, there’s a chance the Raiders shut down Jeanty to avoid a disastrous injury in a meaningless game while also improving their chances of losing.
Maxx Crosby Will Return to Raiders Facilities Amid Tension
Jeanty will likely be one of the players out on the field in the final game of the season. However, one player who won’t be out there is Maxx Crosby. After being shut down for the campaign due to a knee injury, head coach Pete Carroll announced that Crosby will return to the team facility on December 29.
Nonetheless, according to FOX Sports’ Jay Glazer, Crosby thought that he had the right to play the final two games.
“I’ve been on the phone with Maxx a bunch over the last couple of days and he’s not happy,” Glazer said on “FOX NFL Sunday.” “He was like, ‘Jay, I play football. This is what I do. I’ve had a knee injury since Week 3 that I’ve played with the entire time. They told me they were shutting me down, I was like, no, absolutely not. I play football. There’s no shutting it down for me. I want to be out there. I want to be out there with my teammates.‘ It just wasn’t acceptable to Maxx.”
Maxx Crosby Still Doesn’t Want Out of the Raiders
With the latest tension between the Raiders and Crosby over their decision to shut him down, there’s speculation over a potential trade. Glazer also noted that Crosby previously didn’t want to get traded, but this latest development may have changed things.
“Remember, at the trade deadline, I said that Maxx Crosby told me that he [didn’t] want to go anywhere,“ Glazer added. “He told the team he doesn’t want to get traded anywhere else. I don’t know if that’s still the case. I think there’s some massaging that still has to happen.”
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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