The Raiders got a scare on Friday when Kwity Paye left practice early with a trainer and never came back, but the early concern appears to have been short-lived.
Head coach Klint Kubiak said after practice No. 3 that Paye is fine and that the team is simply being cautious.
"He is [okay]. We're just trying to be smart," Kubiak told reporters when asked about Paye. "Guys get little nicks there, we want to make sure we get them to the full padded days, so we're going to be smart with him."
That update matters for a Las Vegas team that had enjoyed a clean start to camp. All 91 players practiced the first two days, giving the staff a real chance to evaluate roster battles without a long injury list getting in the way. Friday brought the first notable disruption, with tight end Carter Runyon and running back Chris Collier also not seen on the field, according to The Athletic's Sam Warren.
Paye’s situation drew the most attention, and for good reason. The edge rusher arrived in Las Vegas earlier this offseason on a three-year, $48 million deal, a move that some viewed as an overpay. The Raiders, though, clearly felt they needed another major piece opposite Maxx Crosby, and Paye has the chance to be the best player Crosby has lined up next to in years.
He is expected to start on the edge with Crosby, while also rotating heavily with Malcolm Koonce and Keyron Crawford. For Rob Leonard’s defense, losing Paye would have been a real setback after the team invested so much in him this offseason.
Leonard was already praising Paye on Thursday, calling him "physical. He's a very strong guy that can bend.
If you're strong, you're stiff, right? And he can bend," before adding, "I love Kwity.
I loved Kwity coming out of Michigan when he came out. Physicality, size, versatility, consistent as a human being with his routine.
Emotionally, he's the same guy every day. He's a fun guy to coach."
Injuries are part of the deal in training camp, and around the league there have already been key players lost to season-ending setbacks in the opening stretch. That’s the ugly side of this time of year. For the Raiders, though, this one seems to have ended with relief instead of alarm.
Las Vegas will have Saturday off before hosting an open practice for fans on Sunday, August 2. Whether Paye is out there remains to be seen, but the bigger takeaway is simple: the Raiders appear to have dodged a real problem.
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