LT Andrew Thomas, S Tyler Nubin, C John Michael-Schmitz, OL Evan Neal and DL DJ Davidson won’t practice on Wednesday, per Mike Kafka.
— Jordan Raanan (@JordanRaanan) December 24, 2025
The Las Vegas Raiders and New York Giants are playing for 2026 NFL draft positioning in Week 17. The Giants and Raiders currently possess the Nos. 1 and 2 overall selections in the real-time draft order. The loser of Sunday’s showdown will almost certainly clinch the top pick in April.
The Raiders made a pair of eyebrow raising roster moves on Wednesday. They placed star tight end Brock Bowers and starting safety Jeremy Chinn on season-ending IR. That won’t end speculation that perhaps the Raiders wouldn’t mind losing Sunday’s game.
The Giants appear to be conducting themselves in similar fashion. Left tackle Andrew Thomas, safety Tyler Nubin, center John Michael-Schmitz, right tackle Evan Neal and defensive lineman DJ Davidson did not practice on Wednesday, per head coach Mike Kafka. That is a slew of keynote Giants starters who are trending towards sitting versus the Raiders on Sunday.
It’s worth acknowledging that teams who are eliminated from postseason contention tend to prioritize health over winning late in the campaign. This isn’t exclusive to the Raiders and Giants, who happen to be playing against one another on Sunday. The Kansas City Chiefs recently placed half their roster (close) on IR after being eliminated from the playoffs.
The loser of Sunday’s Giants-Raiders game is the real winner.