The Raiders are headed into Week 8 with a better-looking injury report than the Jets, but that doesn’t automatically mean Las Vegas has the edge.
New York’s first report for Wednesday looks crowded enough to raise eyebrows, yet the list is a little deceptive. The Jets returned to practice after their brutal Week 7 loss to the winless Miami Dolphins, and several of the names missing were either getting rest or were not major factors.
DeMario Davis and Harrison Phillips were both out for rest. Max Mitchell is a backup offensive lineman.
Joseph Ossai is a rotational piece. That leaves the real questions around David Bailey and T’Vondre Sweat.
Bailey, the No. 2 overall pick behind Fernando Mendoza this past April, has flashed at times this season. Sweat is the kind of interior defender who can change the feel of a line of scrimmage.
Aaron Glenn didn’t have much to say about either one, but neither situation sounded encouraging.
That matters for Las Vegas, because the Raiders have already had enough trouble figuring out exactly what this team is through seven games. They’re 3-4, they’ve handled the three teams they were supposed to beat, and they hung around with the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills, who are tied at the top of the AFC.
At the same time, New England and the Los Angeles Rams both beat them badly, and both of those teams were dealing with major injuries when they faced the Silver and Black. That has made the Raiders tougher to pin down than most.
The Jets may also be on the verge of getting back some important pieces. Breece Hall and Braelon Allen were both limited on Wednesday, and Dylan Parham was limited as well.
Hall and Parham last played in Week 3, but both could be in line to return for Week 8 against Las Vegas. That would be a real boost for New York.
Hall brings juice as both a runner and receiver, and Parham was playing exceptionally before getting hurt. Given how much Rob Leonard’s group has struggled against the run in 2026, those are the kinds of names the Raiders would rather not see come back.
Allen has been playing incredibly well, and his Week 7 injury with Hall already out could have put New York’s backfield in disarray. But his limited tag early in the week suggests he could be on track for Sunday, and Hall may be back too.
On the Raiders’ side, Wednesday was more encouraging. Dont’e Thornton Jr. is back from injured reserve, and there is a chance Jack Bech joins him for Week 8. Patrick Johnson was the only player who did not practice, leaving the rest of the report in relatively manageable shape.
Brock Bowers was limited with a calf issue, though his hamstring appears to be improving after both injuries were listed last week. Quay Walker, who nearly missed last week with a chest injury, was also limited.
DJ Glaze showed up on the report with an ankle issue after playing every snap in Week 7, while Kwity Paye got a rest day. Foley Fatukasi and Ian Thomas were both limited with shoulder injuries, and Carter Runyon was a full participant as he edges closer to a return.
Mike Washington Jr. and Trey Zuhn III, who were on the report last week, are no longer listed.
So while the Jets’ injury sheet looks busier at first glance, the bigger picture is more complicated. Some of those absences are routine.
Some of the injured players could be back. And for a Raiders team still trying to answer bigger questions about itself, this week’s report doesn’t offer a clean shortcut to the truth.
In Other News...
Raiders Run Game Suddenly Puts Ashton Jeanty Under Real Pressure
As the Raiders try to steady their ground game, Ashton Jeanty has found himself at the center of a familiar kind of NFL critique, the sort that usually comes when production and expectations start to drift apart. Former Raiders guard Richie Incognito weighed in on Jeantys early struggles, and his comments pointed to a back who is getting opportunities but not always turning them into the kind of yardage the offense needs, while also floating Mike Washington Jr. as a possible change-of-pace option.
The larger concern for Las Vegas is that Jeanty is dealing with crowded looks more often than most runners, with defenses stacking the box and making every handoff feel a little harder than it should be. That leaves the Raiders with some decisions to make as they head into upcoming games, from how they distribute carries to how they sort out the blocking in front of him, because the run game may not get cleaner unless the pieces around Jeanty start to fit better. [Read more 🡒]
Ashton Jeanty Just Added Real Heat To Raiders Jets Week
Ashton Jeanty added a little edge to Raiders-Jets week after practice, signaling that he expects Las Vegas to sharpen up its ground game against New York on Sunday. The running back, who usually keeps his pregame comments fairly measured, said the Raiders should be able to get the run game going and get themselves back on track against a Jets defense that will be trying to set a tone early.
Jeanty also hinted that some Jets defenders are not eager to finish tackles, though he stopped short of naming anyone in particular. It was a notable bit of confidence from a player who does not often go looking for headlines before kickoff, and it gives this matchup a little extra spice as the Raiders try to turn that belief into production on the field. [Read more 🡒]
Derek Carr Reopens Painful Raiders Split With Josh McDaniels
Derek Carr has revisited one of the most difficult endings of his Raiders tenure, and it adds another layer to how abruptly things unraveled in 2022. In discussing his final meeting with Josh McDaniels and Dave Ziegler, Carr said he wanted to keep playing through the last two games after being benched, a request that underscored just how much he still wanted to finish the season on the field.
McDaniels and Ziegler, meanwhile, were looking at the bigger picture and chose to prioritize a look at other players for the future. Carr has said he is on good terms with McDaniels now, but the fit between quarterback and coaching staff never really clicked in Las Vegas, and this latest account only reinforces how messy that split became. [Read more 🡒]