Las Vegas Raiders place star duo on IR ahead of festive fixtures
The Las Vegas side have taken the decision to put both Bowers and Chinn on injury reserve.
The Las Vegas Raiders announced on Wednesday that tight end Brock Bowers and safety Jeremy Chinn have been moved to the team’s injured reserve list, officially putting an end to both players’ 2025 seasons just two games before the NFL regular season concludes.
The decision comes as the Raiders sit with one of the league’s worst records and have already crashed out of playoff contention.
Bowers, the former first-round pick and one of Las Vegas’s most dynamic offensive weapons, has battled a persistent knee injury since Week 1.
Raiders are placing TE Brock Bowers on season-ending injured reserve due to the knee injury that he has battled all season.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 24, 2025
Raiders S Jeremy Chinn also is being placed on IR. pic.twitter.com/3mKCYu03aG
He sustained damage to the posterior cruciate ligament in his left knee and has played through the issue for most of the year, missing a few games along the way. Despite the setback, he finished the season with 64 catches for 680 yards and seven touchdowns, leading the Raiders in all three receiving categories. This performance earned him a second straight Pro Bowl nod, even in a disappointing team campaign.
Chinn, a veteran safety brought in during the offseason, also goes on IR after a solid year in the Raiders’ side. He started 15 games, making over 110 tackles, and contributing consistently before a back issue saw him sidelined.
With both Bowers and Chinn sidelined, the Raiders must reshape key parts of their roster heading into Week 17. Veteran tight end Michael Mayer is expected to step up as the primary offensive tight end in Bowers’s absence, while Las Vegas will need to shuffle its secondary rotation without Chinn’s on-field input.
Raiders to place TE Brock Bowers on IR. (via @tompelissero) pic.twitter.com/nzeyD3p4l4
— NFL (@NFL) December 24, 2025
The timing of the moves has sparked conversation around the league about Las Vegas’s broader strategy. The Raiders, sitting at 2–13, are battling the New York Giants in a matchup that could decide who earns the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 draft.
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