The Raiders’ Week 8 inactive list brought a few expected moves and a couple of eyebrow-raisers as Las Vegas gets set to face the New York Jets.
Aidan O’Connell is inactive again as the emergency third quarterback, but the bigger story is at receiver and along the defensive front. Dont’e Thornton Jr. and Malik Benson are both out, while Jackson Powers-Johnson is available after showing up on the injury report during the week and carrying a questionable tag.
Here’s the full list of Raiders inactives for Sunday:
QB Aidan O'Connell - Emergency 3rd QB
WR Dont'e Thornton Jr.
WR Malik Benson
SAF Tristin McCollum
SAF Dalton Johnson
G Bryce Cabeldue
DT JJ Pegues
The receiver situation is the most notable shake-up. With Thornton Jr. and Jack Bech both back from injury, the Raiders were never going to dress seven wideouts.
Thornton Jr., who missed Weeks 1-7 and was activated at the last possible moment, will not play against the Jets. Klint Kubiak’s comments suggested he still had a lot of ground to make up.
Benson’s absence stands out too, since he had appeared in every game this season. But Las Vegas went with Bech over him, and Dareke Young’s heavier special teams workload helps explain the decision.
On the defensive line, JJ Pegues is back on the inactive list after being active in Week 7 and making his presence felt against the Los Angeles Rams. He flashed against the run and even forced a fumble, so his absence is a notable change after it looked like his play may have helped his case when Jonah Laulu was released.
In Pegues’ spot, the Raiders will have Thomas Booker IV active, along with Tim Keenan III, who was elevated from the practice squad for the second week in a row. Booker IV sat out last week, and Las Vegas continues to shuffle pieces in the defensive tackle room.
There are also the usual names on the list. O’Connell has been inactive every week this season, while McCollum, Johnson and Cabeldue have mostly been in that same group. Darrell Luter Jr., who spent much of the first half of the season on the inactive list, is active again.
The Raiders also get Powers-Johnson back in the lineup, and Cian Slone, elevated from the practice squad for the third straight week, will finally be active for the first time in New York.
For the Jets, T'Vondre Sweat was placed on IR earlier this week, so he won’t play even though he does not appear on the inactive list. New York is also without Breece Hall and David Bailey, both described as above-average starters.
Dylan Parham is back for the Jets, which should help against a Raiders team that has had few answers on the interior. Joseph Ossai and Max Mitchell are also out for Aaron Glenn’s team.
In Other News...
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Jackson Powers-Johnsons place on the Raiders offensive line has become a talking point at an awkward time, with the rookie appearing to have slipped behind Caleb Rogers on the depth chart and sitting out the recent game against the Jets. For a player who was supposed to be part of the long-term answer up front, the change in status has created an immediate layer of uncertainty around where he fits as the season moves along.
The timing only adds to the intrigue with the trade deadline approaching and Powers-Johnson still under contract for another year beyond this one. Former Raider Lincoln Kennedy raised the possibility on a podcast that Powers-Johnson might want out, though he was careful to frame it as speculation, and that alone is enough to keep the situation worth watching as the Raiders sort through their options. [Read more 🡒]
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The bigger subplot may be unfolding in the backfield, where Ashton Jeantys role has shrunk behind Mike Washington Jr. and the rotation now looks different than it did earlier in the season. For a player the Raiders clearly had plans for, that kind of usage raises a bigger question about where he fits going forward, especially if this is becoming the new normal rather than a one-game wrinkle. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders Face A Tougher Ashton Jeanty Draft Debate After Week 8
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For Las Vegas, the bigger question now is not just how to get Jeanty right physically, but how to judge the decision to take him sixth overall in the draft. The Raiders invested premium capital in a running back, and every week he misses time or looks constrained only sharpens the debate around whether that pick was the best use of such a valuable selection, especially with other players chosen after him already making strong cases of their own. [Read more 🡒]