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Raiders’ Scott Turner On Radar To Become North Carolina OC

December 15th, 2024 at 8:38am CST by Sam Robinson

Working as the Raiders’ interim offensive coordinator, Scott Turner may end up needing to find another gig in 2025. As the Raiders sit 2-11, they will not be considered certain to retain Antonio Pierce and his staffers for the 2025 season.

Another opportunity could become available soon. The now-Bill Belichick–led North Carolina program is believed to view Turner as a top OC candidate, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport notes. Unlike Belichick, Turner has a past coaching in college. Though, the second-generation NFL play-caller has spent most of his career in the pros.

Turner, 42, spent three seasons at Pittsburgh (2008-10) and later spent a year on Jim Harbaugh‘s Michigan staff (2017). Neither stint involved coordinator duties, but Turner has climbed to that level with multiple NFL franchises in the years since. Prior to being elevated to his current post after Luke Getsy‘s firing, Turner served as OC for the Panthers and Commanders.

It would be rather interesting if Belichick went in this direction, considering how close the six-time Super Bowl-winning HC is to Josh McDaniels. The latter served as Belichick’s Patriots OC for 13 seasons over two stints. McDaniels also regularly discussed pro and college opportunities with Belichick over the past few months. While a report indicated McDaniels and other ex-Belichick lieutenants were ready to follow the former New England czar wherever he went, it is unclear if that involved a college move as well. McDaniels having hired Turner while in place as Raiders HC adds intrigue here, as it provides a clear connection to Belichick, who has never worked with Turner previously.

Before coming to the Raiders as pass-game coordinator in 2023, Turner served as quarterbacks coach in Carolina; that tenure ended with Ron Rivera‘s firing keying a Norv Turner move out of the OC chair to clear the way for his son. Scott then followed Rivera to Washington, where he was tasked with leading offenses that did not have good answers at quarterback. The Commanders booted Turner after three seasons in which his offense finished outside the top 20 in scoring. This Raiders stint has yet to produce a win; it has also involved Turner coaching Gardner Minshew, Aidan O’Connell and Desmond Ridder in an offense that lost Davante Adams via an early-season trade.

In addition to Turner having worked with McDaniels, he overlapped with Mick Lombardi with the 2023 Raiders. The latter is the son of now-UNC GM Michael Lombardi. Mick is currently stationed as a 49ers senior offensive assistant. McDaniels has not been connected to an NFL job since his Raiders ouster, so it would surprise if he were not considered for the Tar Heels’ play-calling post. Then again, McDaniels has not stopped through the college ranks since beginning his career as a Michigan State graduate assistant in 1999. The underwhelming HC may well be aiming to return to the NFL soon, rather than it being automatic he follows his longtime boss once again.

Injured Reserve Return Tracker

December 14th, 2024 at 9:49pm CST by Sam Robinson

This offseason brought a change in how teams could construct their 53-man rosters while retaining flexibility with injured players. Clubs were permitted to attach return designations to two players (in total) placed on IR or an NFI list before setting their initial rosters.

In prior years, anyone placed on IR before a team set its initial 53-man roster could not be activated in-season. All August 27 IR- or NFI-return designations, however, already count against teams’ regular-season limit of eight. This introduces more strategy for teams, who will be tasked with determining which players injured in-season will factor into activation puzzles as the year progresses.

All players designated for return on August 27 were eligible to be activated beginning in Week 5, though any player placed on IR after a team set its initial 53 has not been designated for return and therefore does not yet count toward a club’s eight-activation limit. Players who receive return designations after Week 5 also appear on this list.

This offseason also brought a second adjustment, with teams who qualify for the playoffs set to have two additional activations at their disposals. On that note, here is how teams’ activation puzzles look going into Week 17:

Arizona Cardinals

Designated for return:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 5

Atlanta Falcons

Designated for return from IR (August 27): 

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 3

Baltimore Ravens

Eligible for activation:

Activated: 

Activations remaining: 3

Buffalo Bills

Designated for return from IR (August 27):

Activated

Activations remaining: 2

Carolina Panthers

Activated:

Activations remaining: 0

Chicago Bears

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 4

Cincinnati Bengals

Activated: 

Activations remaining: 5

Cleveland Browns

Eligible for activation:

Reverted to season-ending IR:

Activated: 

Activations remaining: 1

Dallas Cowboys

Designated for return:

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 3

Denver Broncos

Designated for return:

Reverted to season-ending IR:

Activated: 

Activations remaining: 3

Detroit Lions

Designated for return: 

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 4

Green Bay Packers

Eligible for activation:

Activated: 

Activations remaining: 5

Houston Texans

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 1

Indianapolis Colts

Designated for return from IR (August 27):

Designated for return: 

Activated:

Activations remaining: 2

Jacksonville Jaguars

Eligible for activation:

  • OL Cooper Hughes

Activated: 

Activations remaining: 3

Kansas City Chiefs

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 3

Las Vegas Raiders

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 5

Los Angeles Chargers

Designated for return:

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 2

Los Angeles Rams

Eligible for activation:

Reverted to season-ending IR:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 1

Miami Dolphins

Designated for return from reserve/NFI list:

Eligible for activation from IR:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 2

Minnesota Vikings

Designated for return from IR (August 27):

Designated for return:

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 3

New England Patriots

Designated for return:

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 5

New Orleans Saints

Designated for return:

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 2

New York Giants

Designated for return:

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 5

New York Jets

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 2

Philadelphia Eagles

Designated for return from IR (August 27):

Designated for return:

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 4

Pittsburgh Steelers

Designated for return from IR (August 27):

  • OL Dylan Cook (released Oct. 31)

Eligible for activation:

Activated: 

Activations remaining: 2

San Francisco 49ers

Eligible for activation:

Reverted to season-ending IR: 

Activated: 

Activations remaining: 3

Seattle Seahawks

Designated for return:

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 2

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Designated for return: 

Eligible for activation:

Reverted to season-ending IR:

Activated: 

Activations remaining: 4

Tennessee Titans

Designated for return:

Eligible for activation:

Activated: 

Activations remaining: 5

Washington Commanders

Designated for return:

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 4

Raiders DE Maxx Crosby To Undergo Season-Ending Ankle Surgery

December 14th, 2024 at 5:15pm CST by Ely Allen

It was already becoming known that the Raiders would be without star defensive end Maxx Crosby for this Monday’s game against the Falcons. Crosby, who missed the first game of his career earlier this year, is now reportedly set to miss the four remaining games of the 2024 season, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Crosby missed the first game of his career in Week 4 because of an ankle injury he had suffered two weeks earlier, and he’s appeared on the team’s injury report in all but three weeks since because of it. After disappearing from the injury report in the last three weeks, Crosby reappeared on the report this week, not participating in any practices. The lack of availability in practice this week led the team to list him as “out” for the weekend, and now reports are determining that he could miss the remainder of the year because of his ankle, as well.

After sitting out this weekend, Crosby is scheduled to meet with foot and ankle specialist Dr. Rob Anderson. On Monday, they will determine just how much damage Crosby’s ankle sustained in Week 2, although the three-time Pro Bowler acknowledged in a Saturday social media post surgery will be required. With that being the case, he will be set to undergo arthroscopic surgery. Some doctors believe that the extent of the injury could be worse than initially thought and require two procedures, a determination that will be made based on what the arthroscopic surgery shows.

At a miserable 2-11, the Raiders have long been eliminated from playoff contention. In fact, tied with the Giants for the worst record in the NFL, Las Vegas is in contention to land the No. 1 overall pick of the 2025 NFL Draft. With little left to play for in 2024, it makes for the Raiders to shut Crosby down and get his physical rehabilitation started. His 2024 season is over, and his focus will now shift to making it back for 2025.

With the Raiders struggling through the season early, a number of teams reached out with trade interest for Crosby. Team owner Mark Davis made it excessively clear that he had no plans to trade his star defender before or after the trade deadline. After a rough season, Davis and company will likely have to continue batting away trade offers from teams looking for pass rushing help.

With Crosby likely to join Malcolm Koonce on injured reserve, the Raiders will need to turn to backups like Charles Snowden, K’Lavon Chaisson, and Tyree Wilson to start at defensive end. Snowden was arrested earlier this week for driving under the influence, so it will be interesting to see how Las Vegas deals with that situation.

Raiders To Evaluate HC Antonio Pierce After 2024 Season

December 12th, 2024 at 10:35pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Raiders went 5-4 to close out the 2023 season, and interim head coach Antonio Pierce received a number of endorsements from players to receive the full-time gig. Owner Mark Davis – having regretted not doing so in the case of Rich Bisaccia previously – decided to keep the former Pro Bowl linebacker in place for 2024.

Things have not gone according to plan, though, with Vegas struggling in a number of categories. The team sits at 2-11 on the year and a high draft pick (perhaps the No. 1 selection) is set to be a central element of the offseason. By the time the draft takes place, a decision will have been made by owner Mark Davis regarding any coaching moves.

On that note, Davis said (via Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal) during the league meetings he will evaluate the Raiders’ staff, including Pierce, after the season ends. Notable changes have of course already been made during the campaign, with Pierce electing to fire offensive coordinator Luke Getsy in November. Scott Turner took over as interim OC, a move which has also seen his father Norv join the staff. Those moves have not yielded a notable uptick in offensive efficiency, although other factors have contributed to that.

Quarterback injuries have been seen throughout the campaign, with Gardner Minshew suffering a broken collarbone and Aidan O’Connell missing time. The latter suffered a bone bruise in Week 14, but he may be available for the Raiders’ next game. Failing that, Desmond Ridder will be in line to start against the Falcons, his former team. Minshew was added in free agency as a bridge starter option, although he only narrowly won out a training camp competition with O’Connell. Their collective struggles have left the Raiders near the bottom of many offensive categories.

League sources are split on Pierce’s job security, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, partially because his contract length was shorter than most other recent hires. Firing him after one injury-riddled season in which the Raiders were not expected to compete seems harsh, but Tom Brady‘s addition to the team’s ownership group could complicate matters.

Davis wants Brady to “have a real role in the decision-making,” per ESPN’s Dan Graziano. If Brady already has his eyes on a different long-term head coach – or simply believes that Pierce isn’t the man for the job – Las Vegas may not waste their time (or Pierce’s) by giving him another year.Davis recently clarified that Pierce and general manager Tom Telesco will be evaluated separately.

“They didn’t come in as a team. They are individuals,” said Davis, per The Athletic’s Tashan Reed, though the Raiders made the decision to hire Telesco less than a week after elevating Pierce from his interim status.

The early returns on Telesco’s moves this offseason have been positive. First-round pick Brock Bowers is a candidate for Offensive Rookie of the Year, and second-rounder Jackson Powers-Johnson has cemented himself as the team’s starting center. The jury remains out on the $110MM given to defensive tackle Christian Wilkins, who had a solid start to the year but has been on injured reserve since October with a Jones fracture in his foot.

Nikhil Mehta contributed to this post.

Raiders’ Charles Snowden Arrested For DUI

December 12th, 2024 at 8:57am CST by Adam La Rose

Charles Snowden is facing a DUI charge. The Raiders defensive end was arrested early Tuesday morning and booked into the Clark County Detention Center, as detailed by David Charns of 8 News Now.

Snowden was released shortly thereafter, court records show. He does not have an arraignment scheduled at this time, and a hearing for a status check on his arresting document is set to take place in April.

“The Raiders are aware of the incident involving Charles Snowden and have been in contact with the NFL and local authorities,” a team statement reads (h/t Vic Tafur of The Athletic). “The club will not comment further as this is a legal matter.”

A former UDFA, Snowden made a pair of appearances with the Bears in 2021 before seeing a lengthy spell between regular season NFL appearances. He joined the Raiders’ practice squad last December but did not see any game time. Vegas waived Snowden during roster cutdowns this August, but he was immediately retained on the team’s practice squad.

The Raiders have been shorthanded along the edge in 2024, something highlighted by Malcolm Koonce missing the entire campaign due to a knee injury. His absence has opened the door to other contributors as complementary options to Maxx Crosby. Snowden has been one of the players who has seen a notable workload as a result, appearing in all 13 games so far this year and making seven starts. The 26-year-old has logged a 36% defensive snap share, totaling 30 tackles and 1.5 sacks.

It remains to be seen how the Raiders will proceed in the wake of Snowden’s misdemeanor charge. He is currently on track to become an exclusive-rights restricted free agent this offseason, but a decision on the team’s part to move on would leave him available to interested teams via the waiver wire.

Tom Brady To Play ‘Huge’ Role In Raiders’ Personnel Plans; Mark Davis Not Mandating QB Pick?

December 11th, 2024 at 10:30pm CST by Sam Robinson

Since ditching their solid but unspectacular Derek Carr plan, the Raiders have delivered a rudderless two years at quarterback. They have not seen their free agency and draft plans pan out, and the organization is amid a lengthy buildup to another true search for an answer.

Although the Raiders looked into Tom Brady as a player ahead of the 2023 free agency period, the former Josh McDaniels pupil retired for a second time. That did not stop Mark Davis from aligning with the QB legend soon after. It took a bit, but Brady’s ownership stake is now official, leading to what promises to be a prominent partnership — one that will not place the 23-year veteran as a figurehead.

Brady will play a “huge” role in personnel, with Davis going as far as to confirm this (via the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s Vincent Bonsignore) at the latest owners meetings Wednesday. Bonsignore reported earlier this week Brady will hold a prominent place in the Raiders’ decision-making hierarchy “over time.” This invites obvious intrigue due to Brady’s stature and how it will impact the authority of GM Tom Telseco, who controls the Raiders’ roster. This is a night-and-day turnaround from Brady’s June 2023 assessment, which pegged a “very passive” role in Las Vegas.

More specifically, Davis wants to hear an honest assessment from a qualified staffer who is not fearing for his job, according to Yahoo’s Charles Robinson. Buying a stake in the Raiders earlier this season — after more than a year of waiting — Brady has no concerns of being pushed out. The NFL has allowed him to operate dually as FOX’s top analyst, albeit with significant sanctions, and minority Raiders owner. That setup is interesting enough by itself, but with Brady set to help shape the Raiders’ long-term plan, how they will go about addressing the quarterback spot will be a central 2025 NFL storyline.

Brady does not hold personnel experience, but Davis is certainly set to lean on this century’s highest-profile player’s body of work within the game. As it stands, Brady will be perhaps the lead decision-maker when it comes to Las Vegas determining its QB answer.

As for where that player will come from, a drafted arm might not be a lock. Conflicting accounts have emerged, per Robinson, as to whether Davis will demand the Raiders draft a starter-caliber QB. Be it through the draft or a veteran acquisition, Robinson adds Davis will mandate a long-term plan to fix this issue. The Raiders also want to improve their roster before acquiring a to-be-determined long-term QB, Robinson adds, noting that in-house extensions may be on the horizon. Given the Raiders’ 2-11 record, it will be interesting to see which players become targets.

Although Ken Stabler played longer with the Raiders, Carr operated as the longest-running QB1 in team history. The Raiders erred by signing Jimmy Garoppolo, and Antonio Pierce repeatedly benched Garder Minshew despite the team having signed him to a two-year, $25MM deal in March. Since Carr was parked in Week 17 of the 2022 season due to his contract, the Raiders have started six quarterbacks. That number might balloon to seven Sunday, if Desmond Ridder is needed in place of Aidan O’Connell. Neither of those passers, however, will be expected to factor into Telesco, Davis and now Brady’s long-term plan.

With a month left in the season, the Raiders are projected to hold the No. 1 overall pick. This top-heavy season, though, has produced a host of challengers for that spot. And the 2025 draft’s QB crop is not viewed especially well. That could prompt the Raiders to look into other options — be it a true starter or another bridge plan ahead of 2026. Antonio Pierce, who pushed for a Jayden Daniels reunion, would almost definitely — if he is retained, that is — be against a second bridge plan ahead of a 2026 draft choice. But Pierce or his replacement will be answering to Brady and Telesco on this matter.

Once they learned no Daniels trade would happen, the Raiders had Michael Penix Jr. as a potential fallback option. But the team did not want to trade up for the Washington prospect, who went eighth overall to Atlanta. The Falcons choosing Penix at 8 flummoxed the Raiders, Robinson adds, as the Telesco-led front office believed he would be there at 13. With Penix going at 8, the Broncos scuttled any plans to trade down and drafted Bo Nix — who visited the Raiders — at 12. This left the Raiders in the cold at QB, though they did do well to acquire Offensive Rookie of the Year candidate Brock Bowers in a best-player-available pick.

Bowers’ historic pace should bode well for Telesco’s standing within the building, but soon he will need to provide Brady with answers at quarterback. It will be quite interesting to find out who will hold the anvil when it comes to how the franchise proceeds here in 2025, but given Davis’ comments, it should not be expected Brady will encounter significant pushback if he voices a strong opinion about a near-future path.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/10/24

December 10th, 2024 at 8:46pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Arizona Cardinals

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Denver Broncos

  • Signed: LB K.J Cloyd

Green Bay Packers

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

Browns kicker Dustin Hopkins has made just 64.0% of his field goal attempts this season, which includes two misses from inside 40 yards. Patterson kicked for Cleveland when Hopkins was injured at the end of last season, and his addition to the practice squad indicates that head coach Kevin Stefanski is considering a similar change this year.

The Titans signed Narveson as insurance for starter Nick Folk, who is dealing with an injury, per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo. Narveson began the season as the Packers’ kicker, but after missing five of his 12 field goal attempts, all of which came inside of 50 yards.

Raiders Place RB Zamir White On IR, Promote QB Carter Bradley

December 10th, 2024 at 1:15pm CST by Adam La Rose

Zamir White‘s 2024 season has come to an end. The third-year running back was placed on injured reserve Tuesday, the Raiders announced.

White has been limited to eight games this season, and the quad injury he is currently dealing with has left him out of the lineup since Week 12. An IR stint ensures an absence of at least four games, the time remaining in Vegas’ season. White’s attention will therefore turn to recovery in advance of 2025.

As expected, Josh Jacobs departed the Raiders in free agency, a move which allowed White to assume RB1 duties at the start of the campaign. The former fourth-rounder had a strong showing late in the 2023 season when Jacobs was hurt, suggesting he would be effective as a full-time starter. Like with most of the Raiders’ offense this year, however, things have not gone according to plan for White. The 25-year-old averaged just 2.8 yards per attempt and scored one touchdown prior to suffering the injury.

Vegas is also without Alexander Mattison at the moment, so the team will move forward with the likes of Ameer Abdullah, Dylan Laube and Sincere McCormick in the backfield. The Raiders are out of postseason contention, but an improved showing on offense down the stretch could help quell doubts about head coach Antonio Pierce‘s job security. 2025 marks the final year of White’s rookie contract, so his performance next year will be key.

In a corresponding move, quarterback Carter Bradley has been promoted from the practice squad to the active roster. The undrafted rookie will provide depth under center as the Raiders evaluate the status of Aidan O’Connell, who could be an option to suit up in Week 15. If that is not the case, Desmond Ridder will get the nod and Bradley will have the opportunity to dress as his backup.

Aidan O’Connell Suffers Bone Bruise; Raiders QB Not Ruled Out For Week 15

December 9th, 2024 at 2:24pm CST by Adam La Rose

When an air cast was placed on Aidan O’Connell‘s leg prior to being carted off the field, the possibility existed he would be dealing with a major injury. A report from Sunday night indicated the Raiders feared the second-year quarterback suffered a season-ending knee injury, but the worst-case scenario appears to have been avoided.

Further testing revealed O’Connell is dealing with a bone bruise, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. Considering the potential for more drastic outcomes, that is certainly a welcomed development for team and player. O’Connell will attempt to play in Week 15, so his status over the coming days will be key.

O’Connell already had a stint on injured reserve earlier this year, with his activation coming in time for him to replace Gardner Minshew in the lineup. The latter is out for the year due to a broken collarbone, an injury which opened the door for O’Connell to once again compete for a potential starting spot in 2025. Things have generally not gone well in that regard, with O’Connell’s play on Black Friday being an exception. If he can manage to suit up, though, the Purdue product could continue auditioning for a role next season.

Two more years remain on O’Connell’s rookie contract, so he should still be in consideration for at least a depth spot on Vegas’ QB depth chart moving forward. Minshew is also on the books for 2025, however, and the Raiders are on track to be in position to select a quarterback in the upcoming draft. A strong end to the season would not give the team a chance at a postseason berth, but it would help O’Connell’s stock in the organization.

The Raiders’ other healthy option under center is Desmond Ridder, who took over yesterday after O’Connell’s injury. The former Falcon would be in position to start against his former team if he were to get the nod for Week 15, but that will depend on O’Connell’s ability to recovery in short order.

Raiders Fear QB Aidan O’Connell Suffered Season-Ending Knee Injury

December 8th, 2024 at 9:16pm CST by Adam La Rose

9:15 PM: Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports has broken the confirmation that O’Connell’s leg injury is indeed serious. Per Schultz, O’Connell suffered a season-ending knee injury in today’s loss to the Buccaneers.

With O’Connell likely joining Minshew on IR, the remaining four starts of the season should fall to Ridder. The only other quarterback in Las Vegas, aside from part-owner Tom Brady, of course, is practice squad rookie Carter Bradley out of South Alabama, who will likely need to be called up to the active roster. If the Raiders want more bodies in the room, they’ll need to sign a free agent or practice squad member from another franchise.

3:21 PM: The Raiders have already been dealt one notable blow on the injury front with respect to the quarterback position. They appear to have endured another during Sunday’s action.

Aidan O’Connell went down with a leg injury during the third quarter of Vegas’ game against the Buccaneers. An air cast was placed on his left leg before he was carted off the field. Such circumstances are often tied to major injuries and lengthy absences, and the Raiders will be further shorthanded at the QB spot if that proves to be true in this instance.

Gardner Minshew suffered a broken collarbone last month, leaving O’Connell in position to reclaim starting duties upon being activated from injured reserve. Minshew had won the offseason competition used to determine Vegas’ Week 1 starter, but neither passer impressed during training camp or the preseason. O’Connell saw playing time prior to landing on IR, and Minshew’s injury coincided with his return to action.

The 2023 fourth-rounder has not enjoyed much success this year, although his showing against the Chiefs on Black Friday (314 yards, two touchdowns, zero interceptions) showcased the potential for a late-season run of stronger outings. Instead, O’Connell’s attention will now turn to recovery as the Raiders move forward with Desmond Ridder under center. The former Falcon has made three appearances so far in 2024, his debut Vegas campaign. Ridder – a pending restricted free agent – could play his way into a deal with the Raiders or another team with his showings in the coming weeks if he finds himself as their only available passer.

For O’Connell, this development marks another unwanted mark on his efforts to secure a starting gig with the Raiders. He and Minshew are under contract for next year, but Vegas has long been seen as a suitor for a notable QB addition this offseason. With neither signal-caller easing doubts about their future before being injured, the Raiders will no doubt be a team to watch closely on that front.

Vegas lost 28-13 to Tampa Bay on Sunday, dropping the team’s record 2-11 on the year. The Raiders could very well be in position to select a passer during the first round of the draft as a result. O’Connell, 26, could return again this season depending on the severity of his injury, but he may well be sidelined until a 2025 campaign which could included new faces under center.

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