The Raiders’ injury list keeps growing, and Week 4 could bring some important answers on three players who left Sunday’s win over the New Orleans Saints in different states of concern.
Treydan Stukes is the one Las Vegas badly wants back first. The safety suffered a concussion in Week 2 against the Los Angeles Chargers and sat out the second half of that game, then missed the Saints matchup as well.
Last week, Klint Kubiak said Stukes was doing everything he could to recover quickly and get out of protocol. That lines up with the usual concussion timeline, and the Raiders need the help.
Isaiah Pola-Mao struggled badly in Stukes’ place, leaving the back end of the defense exposed.
Jack Bech’s situation looks more serious. Kubiak said after Sunday’s game that Bech fractured his forearm, and on Monday he added, "Jack Bech is probably going to be out," before clarifying, "Obviously, Jack [Bech]'s going to be out for a little bit. We have not made a roster decision yet, so that'll be TBD."
Bech has not been placed on injured reserve and no roster move has been made yet. Kubiak said the injury happened on the end zone target that led to an unnecessary roughness penalty.
He also said, "He got blown up. Kirk [Cousins] was throwing the ball away, and the guy hit him in the forearm; so lucky that it wasn't a concussion.
But he'll be back. We'll get him back."
If the signs point the way they seem to, Cody White could be the next man up.
Jackson Powers-Johnson is the final piece of the puzzle, and the Raiders still aren’t offering much clarity there. He left quietly late in the game, with the team labeling it a groin injury.
Kubiak said, "We are still evaluating JPJ [Jackson Powers-Johnson]. He's got a sore groin," which leaves the door open to a cautious approach.
That makes sense given how tricky groin injuries can be, especially for a player with Powers-Johnson’s injury history. Kubiak also said he thinks Caleb Rogers is a starting-level player, and the competition at right guard was tight enough that a shift there would not be a shock. If Rogers does get more work, the Raiders may prefer to use him on the other side, where Spencer Burford has struggled more than JPJ this season.
For now, the biggest thing to watch is Wednesday’s practice report and whatever designations come with it.
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