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After a pretty clean training camp, the Las Vegas Raiders are starting to get hit with some really bad injury news. First, it was revealed on Tuesday that starting wide receiver Tyrell Williams will miss the entire year with a tear in his shoulder. Now, it’s being reported by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport that rookie first-round pick Damon Arnette suffered a fracture in his thumb.
Mike Garafolo chimed in and revealed that it’s affecting how he jams receivers.
Now, this news is concerning but Arnette was at practice on Wednesday and seemed to be okay enough. His hand will definitely need to be watched but it’s not time to hit the panic button just yet. Considering the Raiders just recently released Prince Amukamara, they absolutely need Arnette to be a difference-maker.
Arnette Is as Tough as They Come
Playing through a fractured thumb is probably no fun but Arnette has dealt with worse. During his last season at Ohio State, he played much of the year with a broken wrist. Not only that, but he played well enough to be a first-round pick.
“When I found out it was broken, I didn’t even think twice about it,” Arnette said back in 2019, per Eleven Warriors. “I was just like ‘Oh ok.’ Because I was already playing with it.
“It just is what it is right now. I’m just trying to keep my head down until we run through the finish line, then I’ll be able to look up and see what I’ve played through and what we’ve accomplished, after we’ve accomplished what we need to accomplish.”
Arnette proved his toughness in college and he’s not about to become a softy now that he’s in the NFL. It’s unclear how long the Raiders have known that Arnette hurt his thumb but it’s hard to imagine they would’ve let Amukamara walk if they were concerned. Unless the team decides to add another cornerback, there isn’t much of a reason to worry about Arnette.
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Other Raiders Injuries to Watch
The Williams and Arnette injuries are the most worrisome the Raiders have had to deal with so far but there some other injuries to keep an eye on. Pro Bowl right tackle Trent Brown has been in and out of practice since the beginning of training camp. The Raiders have stayed quiet and what could be wrong with him, but if he’s not practicing, he’s probably not %100. He dealt with a number of injuries last season so his situation will have to be one to watch.
Quarterback Marcus Mariota missed about a week of practice with an undisclosed injury. He returned on Wednesday so there probably isn’t much to worry about with him. He’s gotten banged up quite a bit through his career and it looks like he got banged up again. Mariota shouldn’t expect to play much this year so his recent absences aren’t cause for concern.
Cornerback Trayvon Mullen missed some practices but he’s been back over the last few days. There’s no reason to believe he could miss any time. Other than that, the Raiders are relatively healthy with the season closing in.
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