6:00pm: Smith will have surgery, but the Raiders aren’t going to place him on IR just yet, according to head coach Jack Del Rio (Twitter link via Scott Bair of CSNCalifornia.com). While allowing that Smith’s season is “jeopardy,” Del Rio said Oakland is “hoping for good news.”
12:28pm: Raiders tight end Lee Smith could be done for the season after suffering a “fractured bone in his lower leg,” a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Smith appeared to have hurt his ankle after being hit by Ravens cornerback Jimmy Smith in the second quarter of yesterday’s game.
Smith doesn’t catch a lot of passes in the Raiders’ offense, but he is highly valued for his blocking skill. Since joining the Raiders in 2015, Smith has just 18 catches for 99 yards and one touchdown to his credit. He is currently in the midst of a three-year, $9MM deal that he signed prior to the ’15 season. Before coming to Oakland, Smith spent his first four years in Buffalo.
On the other side of the ball, the Raiders are waiting for additional word on linebacker Malcolm Smith‘s groin injury.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.