The Las Vegas Raiders are dealing with a growing injury crisis, with being-Pro defensive end Maxx Crosby and Pro Bowl wide out Davante Adams being declared out for Sunday’s game against Cleveland Browns.
Adams (hamstring) and Crosby (ankle) have both been ruled out, while tight end Michael Mayer will also miss the game for personal reasons. Raiders coach Antonio Pierce confirmed to media that the trio would miss the game, bringing the team’s injury total to six critical players.
The Raiders’ troubles are compounded by the absences of offensive tackle Thayer Munford (knee/ankle), linebacker Divine Deablo (oblique), and cornerback Decamerion Richardson (hamstring). These six join seven other players on the injured list, five of whom are on injury reserve.
3rd-string strong safety Marcus Epps is on the injured reserve list due to a knee ailment, and DE Malcolm Koonce had season-ending surgery. Wide receiver Jeff Forman also suffered a knee injury, guard Jake Johanning was placed on injured reserve before the season began, and third-string free safety Trey Taylor was added to the injured reserve list on August 28 due to an unspecified ailment.
Kana’i Mauga, a linebacker, and backup quarterback Decamerion Richardson are both listed as questionable for the game. Thayer Munford, the starting right tackle, injured his knee in last week’s 36-22 loss to the Carolina Panthers, who were led by backup quarterback Andy Dalton on offence.
Pierce, in his first full season as head coach of the Raiders, gets off to a rocky start with a 1-2 record that places them third in the AFC West. Both the underperforming Raiders and the injury-plagued Browns, who are missing key players such as David Njoku, Jack Conklin, and Myles Garrett, the latter of whom was handicapped by leg concerns during Thursday’s practice, are hoping to rebound from losses.
Following a heartbreaking setback to Carolina, a clearly disturbed Pierce delivered a powerful message to his team during a press conference. In a veiled critique, he criticized several players for their poor performance, implying that some may be putting their income ahead of their passion for the game.
“I don’t think the team was to blame as the game progressed. “I believe there were some individuals who made business decisions,” Pierce remarked clearly. “And we’ll make business decisions going forward, as well.”
During the game, top player Adams could not disguise his displeasure, as he was caught on camera ranting about the situation during halftime. His alleged half-hearted blocking has sparked criticism, raising questions about his devotion to the Raiders.
Following Pierce’s comments, the franchise quietly made roster adjustments to improve their line depth. Offensive tackle Germain Ifedi was promoted from the practice squad to the active roster.
The team also added offensive tackles Sebastian Gutierrez and Ricky Lee, as well as defensive end Elerson Smith, to its practice squad.
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