The Las Vegas Raiders are in desperate need of help at wide receiver, yet head coach Klint Kubiak doesn’t seem keen on rushing WR Dont’e Thornton Jr. back from injured reserve despite Thornton coming back to practice.
Las Vegas is already without Jack Bech, who suffered a fractured left forearm during Week 3’s win over the New Orleans Saints, and Thornton, who’s yet to make his 2026 debut due to a hamstring injury he suffered during training camp.
“I just want to go out there, play football, have fun and help my team be the best they can be,” Thornton said last week. “So, whatever that calls for from this team, that’s what I’m going to do.”
If that’s the case, why hasn’t Thornton appeared in a game yet?
Klint Kubiak Sends Stern Message to Dont’e Thornton Jr.
When talking about what he wants to see from Dont’e Thornton Jr. to be activated from IR, Klint Kubiak sent a blunt message:
“He’s got to prove to us that he’s ready to go play in an NFL game. His conditioning is there. You know, he didn’t have a lot of training camp, guys. He’s coming back from a lot of time off, but he put himself in a position last week to prove to us this week and maybe next week that he’s ready to go.”
Sounds like a normal response, but when talking about the benchmarks he’s looking for from Thornton to ‘prove he’s ready to play,’ it doesn’t sound like a head coach who desperately wants to see his wide receiver return despite having a thin unit.
“Number one is conditioning, number two is being assignment sound, and number three is making plays.”
Some Raiders fans offered their thoughts on Kubiak’s message to Thornton.
“I don’t think Kubiak is a fan of him. Maybe not even spy. Let’s be real, he was a Pete Carroll pick.” @colin_in_da_702
“Love that Kubiak has a clear expectation and standard.” @voltrondtu
“Based on what Klint Kubiak has been saying when repeatedly asked about Dont’e Thornton, I get the feeling he’s not a fan.” @eg720
Raiders May Go Another Route for Wide Receiver Help
Maybe it’s just Klint Kubiak being cautious with Dont’e Thornton Jr. and not wanting to rush him back on the field, but what if the Raiders go another route when it comes to bulking up the WR room? Perhaps a trade is on the horizon.
ESPN’s Dan Graziano and Jeremy Fowler touched on who they believe could be the next wide receiver who could get traded now that Marvin Harrison Jr. has been dealt away to the Houston Texans, and named a few wideouts as potential trade candidates.
- Jacksonville Jaguars‘ Brian Thomas Jr.
- Cleveland Browns‘ Jerry Jeudy
- Los Angeles Chargers‘ Quentin Johnston
- Baltimore Ravens‘ Rashod Bateman
- Minnesota Vikings‘ Jauan Jennings
If the fit and availability are there, Raiders general manager John Spytek could be inclined to go out and make a trade.
Klint Kubiak Sends Stern Message to Raiders WR Amid Injury News