Las Vegas Raiders tight end Darren Waller suffered a hamstring injury before halftime of their Week 5 showdown against the Kansas City Chiefs. He was eventually ruled out of the game after initially being listed as questionable.
However, the decision shouldn't have come as a surprise, especially after James Palmer of NFL Network reported that he was missing from the sideline after the injury. That should have been the first sign that he wouldn't be coming back to the contest.
Waller did return to the sideline, but he was no longer in his uniform but in street clothes instead.
Of course losing Darren Waller is quite a head-scratching problem for the Raiders, especially with backup tight end Foster Moreau missing his second straight game due to a knee issue. Waller's sudden absence left Las Vegas with just Jesper Horsted as the only active TE for the game.
Waller exited the Monday Night Football game without a catch. The Raiders were ahead 20-10 at halftime, though it isn't without controversy after a controversial roughing the pass call denied the Chiefs the opportunity to score more before the second quarter ended.
It remains to be seen if Waller's latest setback will be a long-term issue. It is definitely concerning that he was unable to return in the second half, but on the other end, the fact that he eventually returned to the sideline should be seen as a positive sign.
For now, Raiders fans can only hope for the best for their TE.