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The Las Vegas Raiders offense has been without a key contributor in tight end Darren Waller for over a month now. The star pass catcher went down with a hamstring injury in Week 5. It now appears that Waller is still not ready to return to the field.
On Wednesday, Waller made his return to the practice field. He participated in a limited role, but still isn't prepared to return to the playing field.
During his press conference on Wednesday, Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels was asked about how Waller was progressing with the hamstring injury. What he said could indicate that Waller is still some time away from playing in an actual game.
Josh McDaniel’s Via The Las Vegas Review Journal’s Cassie Soto:
“I think we're in the same boat. I think you'll see him today and hopefully, we take another step forward. I'm not a doctor, I don't have a medical degree and it's very difficult to predict some of these things. Muscles and those kinds of things are always a little tricky, especially for a player that his number one skill, one of his certain top traits obviously is his ability to run and open up and go.”
McDaniel then went on to say, “There is no timetable. I don't know. Some guys come back a little quicker than others. At the end of the day, the reality is if you come back too quickly from one of these, you usually end up out longer. We’re just trying to let his body tell us when the right time is, and hopefully, that's sooner rather than later. But we can't just magically snap our fingers and make it go away. So we’ll give it another shot this week and hopefully, we can turn a corner.”
The Raiders offense, led by Derrick Carr and Davante Adams, has been in desperate need of a boost. They currently have a 2-6 record and are fourth in the AFC West.
Carr and Adams have attempted to keep the offense afloat in Waller's absence. The duo has been electric at times this season, connecting for 48 receptions for 658 receiving yards and seven total touchdowns.
The rest of the Raiders receiving core has struggled to be as effective. Mack Hollins has stepped into the WR2 role, recording 28 receptions for 398 receiving yards and two touchdowns. But past him, there has been a drastic drop in production. Wide receiver Hunter Renfrow has struggled to be effective this season, recording just 21 receptions for 192 receiving yards.
Darren Waller making his long-awaited return to this Raiders offense could be exactly what this team needs. When healthy, he is among the best at his position in the entire league. He adds another layer to this offense that could allow things to open up even more. And it would also take some of the pressure off of Adams.
In the four full games that he appeared in, Darren Waller struggled to be productive, likely due to the arrival of Adams. He recorded 16 receptions for 175 receiving yards and one touchdown. Even with missing time, Waller still ranks fourth on the Raiders in receiving yards.
In a highly competitive AFC, the Raiders season could already be over with six losses this early in the season. But if they hope to have a fighting chance, they will need Waller to return soon.
