HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — Max Crosby’s season is over, and it remains to be seen whether his time with the Las Vegas Raiders is over.
The Raiders placed the star pass rusher, who has been nursing a knee injury for much of the season, on injured reserve on Saturday, meaning he will miss the final two games.
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Las Vegas faces the New York Giants on Sunday and Kansas City next week.
“After thoughtful and thorough consultation with multiple top medical experts, it is clear that this decision is in the best interest of the team and the players,” the Raiders said in a statement. “Marquez is the ultimate warrior and has worked extremely hard to compete with his teammates every week since suffering a mid-season knee injury.
“We are grateful for his extraordinary contributions. He is a true Raider on and off the field – and we look forward to his leadership and resilience in 2026 and beyond.”
The move comes a day after the Raiders ruled out Crosby for their game against the Giants. Crosby left the team after learning of the decision, which coach Pete Carroll said at the time he supported. Carroll denied there was a rift between Crosby and the organization.
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“He’s been fighting hard,” Carroll said Friday. “He’s as good a competitor as you are. You can’t fight more than him. He’ll do anything to be able to play.”
The Raiders and Giants each entered the matchup with 2-13 records, with the loser having a chance at the No. 1 pick. Las Vegas could use a No. 1 pick at quarterback, such as Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza, hoping to fill a long-term need for an organization that hasn’t had a playoff victory in more than two decades.
In addition to removing Crosby from the lineup, the club has made other moves this week that indicate they are in rebuilding mode.
Tight end Brock Bowers (knee) and safety Jeremy Chinn (back) were placed on season-ending injured reserve Wednesday. Bowles is a two-time Pro Bowler who earned first-team All-Pro honors last season. Chin started every game and finished with 114 tackles, three for a loss and one sack.
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As for Crosby, he is one of the league’s top pass rushers. He has 10 sacks and a career-high 28 tackles this season. Crosby has recorded double-digit sacks in three of the last four seasons.
Crosby made it clear earlier this week that winning is more important than landing the No. 1 pick.
“I’m not going to (expletive) take this pick,” Crosby said at the time. “I don’t play for this. That’s not my job. My job is to be the best defensive end in the world and that’s what I focus on every day, being a great leader, making an impact and being that guy for my team consistently. The front office, the coaches, they all do that.”
While Crosby has long insisted he wants to start and finish his career with the Raiders, the team could work around his decision by finding a trade partner for the 28-year-old in his prime.
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On March 5, he signed a three-year contract extension worth $106.5 million, of which $91.5 million was guaranteed, making Crosby briefly the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history. The deal will carry Crosby through the 2029 season.
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