The Las Vegas Raiders have been fortunate to not have too many quarterback issues this season. Outside of Derek Carr missing a couple of snaps against the Chicago Bears with an injury in Week 5, he’s been able to stay mostly healthy for the team. Early in the season, the team did place Marcus Mariota on the Injured Reserve with a calf injury but he’s healthy now despite currently being on the Reserve/COVID-19 list.
When Mariota was out, the Raiders signed Kyle Sloter on the practice squad in case they needed quarterback help. He spent much of the offseason with the team but was cut before training camp. He lasted a few weeks with the Raiders but was cut after Mariota returned from injury. He’s sat in free agency for weeks until now. The Minnesota Vikings announced that they’ve signed him to their active roster.
T Rick Leonard has been signed to the practice squad. TE Brandon Dillon and WR Damion Ratley have been released from the practice squad.
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This is a bit of a homecoming for Sloter as he was with the team from 2017 to 2018. The 6-foot-5 quarterback has yet to take a snap in an NFL game. He’ll be replacing Sean Mannion, who recently tested positive for COVID-19, as the third-string quarterback. Sloter’s time in Minnesota could be temporary as Mannion has a chance to return relatively soon.
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Carr Shouldn’t Miss Time With Rib Injury
While Carr has been durable this season, he has given the Raiders a few scares. The latest came against the Denver Broncos when he appeared to hurt his shoulder and had to be tended to by the medical staff. Luckily, he was able to finish the game. However, it didn’t end up being a shoulder injury. Interim head coach Rich Bisaccia revealed that he’s dealing with a rib injury.
“He got banged in the rib and he felt like he struggled to cough a little bit, so we told him not to cough,” Bisaccia said Monday.
The good news is that the injury shouldn’t keep Carr out for any time at all.
“He’s been cleared to practice,” Bisaccia said. “I know it came out as a chest contusion early. I think from talking to those guys today it’s a little bit more of a rib. And hopefully, he’ll be better as we go. But as of right now, he’s good to go.”
Playoffs Becoming a Real Possibility for Raiders
Just a few weeks ago, the Raiders looked like they were dead in the water. They lost five of six games and were quickly falling out of the playoff race. The team has won two in a row and can still get the playoffs if they win out. Their chances are helped even further by the fact that the Indianapolis Colts are dealing with serious COVID-19 issues right now.
Quarterback Carson Wentz, star linebacker Darius Leonard, Pro Bowl offensive lineman Quenton Nelson and many more could all miss Sunday’s matchup against the Raiders. If that’s the case, it’s very possible Las Vegas is playing for a playoff berth at home against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 18.
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