The Las Vegas Raiders’ running game is finally gaining traction, and Sincere McCormick deserves some credit. Due to injuries to Alexander Mattison and Zamir White, McCormick was promoted from the practice squad in back-to-back games and performed admirably.
For his efforts, the Raiders are promoting him. On Tuesday, the team announced McCormick’s addition to the active roster. This is a significant accomplishment for the 24-year-old running back, who spent three seasons on the Raiders’ practice squad before getting an opportunity to play this year.
He’s shown some potential, averaging 5.7 yards per carry over the last two games. The Raiders signed the former University of Texas at San Antonio standout as an undrafted free agent in 2022, and he has struggled with injuries early in his career.
With Mattison and White completely unsuccessful this season, Las Vegas needed a running back to step up, which McCormick has done despite receiving only 17 touches. He definitely pleased the organization enough to secure an active roster berth, and he might see an even larger workload in the final five games of the season.
DJ Turner to Injured Reserve.
The Raiders’ injury situation remains dire. DJ Turner has been the team’s third-best wide receiver this season and has recently been promoted to the starting lineup. Unfortunately, his season appears to be over.
To make room for McCormick, the Raiders placed Turner on Injured Reserve. This is a disheartening situation for the young wide receiver, who has been having a career year. He had no receptions the previous two seasons, but he caught 16 balls for 158 in 2024. He also has five rushing attempts for 33 yards and one touchdown.
Turner has been an outstanding special teams player for the Raiders, but he was beginning to show that he deserved a larger role on the offence. Turner’s season is likely over with only five games remaining. Nonetheless, he demonstrated enough that the Raiders should give him another chance in 2025.
Raider injuries continue to pile up.
The Raiders likely did not have enough talent entering the 2024 season to challenge for a postseason spot. When the injuries began to mount up, they had little chance of overcoming them. It all started with defensive end Malcolm Koonce suffering a season-ending injury just before the season began, and it has only gotten worse since.
Star defensive end Christian Wilkins is on injured reserve, quarterback Gardner Minshew is out for the season with a broken collarbone, and starting defensive backs Marcus Epps and Jakorian Bennett are also on injured reserve.
That’s not to add that other starters, including Divine Deablo, Maxx Crosby, Michael Mayer, and others, have missed games due to injuries. The Raiders lack the roster depth to overcome so many injuries, which is why they are tied for the NFL’s worst record (2-10). Las Vegas has some terrific talent, but they need to improve their depth if they want to be successful next season.
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