The Las Vegas Raiders had almost nothing to celebrate during the 2025-26 NFL campaign, but Kyu Blu Kelly's playmaking ability has been one of the few positives. The third-year cornerback suffered a ruptured patella tendon in Sunday's 24-17 loss versus the Denver Broncos, ending his breakout season. While he is surely still processing this brutal turn of events, there is some encouraging news that Kelly can take comfort in during his recovery.
He has not suffered any ligament damage, per NFL Network's Mike Garafolo. The No. 157 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft spent time with the Seattle Seahawks, Green Bay Packers and Washington Commanders before earning a bigger opportunity with the Raiders this season. He has capitalized on his increased reps, recording three interceptions, six pass breakups, one fumble recovery and 31 solo tackles in 13 games.
Kelly has plenty to improve on moving forward — allowing a 106.7 passer rating and 15.6 yards per reception, per Pro Football Focus — but he could potentially build on the growth he has shown during the 2025-26 campaign. His NFL journey may not continue in Vegas, however. The former Stanford talent will be a restricted free agent, but given this recent setback, it may benefit both parties to come together on a short-term contract for 2026.
The Raiders (2-11) will try to fill the void left by Kyu Blu Kelly's absence, as they limp through another painful regular season, and toward another important offseason. Unless Las Vegas wins one of its four remaining games — on the road versus the Philadelphia Eagles and Houston Texans and at home against the New York Giants and Kansas City Chiefs — it will set a new franchise-loss record.
