The Cleveland Browns future could depend on what happens in Week 17 of the 2025 NFL season. The Pittsburgh Steelers may have nothing to play for when the two AFC North teams matchup, while the Las Vegas Raiders and New York Giants, two teams ahead of the Browns in the 2026 NFL draft order currently, play each other in a tank-off as well.
In the “Race to the Bottom” of the 2025 NFL standings, the top of the upcoming NFL draft is up in the air. After facing each other, the Raiders take on the zombie (missing a ton of key players) Kansas City Chiefs, while the Giants will play the Dallas Cowboys.
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The best-case scenario that is likely for Cleveland is the Giants winning in Week 17 and the Raiders beating the Chiefs in Week 18. It seems like neither New York nor Las Vegas is interested in winning this week, with the Raiders going against DE Maxx Crosby’s wishes to play, ruling him out after he said this, leading to him leaving the team facility:
Las Vegas placed star TE Brock Bowers on injured reserve this week as well.
Not to be outdone, the Giants ruled out OT Andrew Thomas, along with a number of other players, and listed others as questionable:
While Week 17’s matchup between the Browns vs Steelers will be the most important game for Cleveland’s 2026 NFL draft order, the tank-off between the Raiders and Giants will be a must-see.