The Las Vegas Raiders were fortunate to avoid any major injuries through the first three weeks of the season, but that changed in Week 4. With less than a minute left in the fourth quarter against the Chicago Bears, starting left tackle Kolton Miller had to be carted off the field after injuring his ankle.
At first, the hope was that he merely suffered a high ankle sprain. It’s not a great injury for a big player like Miller, but it’s something that he may have been able to return from after a couple of weeks off. Unfortunately, things are worse than expected. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, in addition to a high ankle sprain, a CT scan revealed that Miller has also suffered a hairline fracture.
This means he’ll be headed to Injured Reserve. Considering Miller is 6-foot-8, 326 pounds, it’s hard to imagine he’ll be able to come back this season. He’s a very tough player, so it’s easy to see him pushing to return late in the season if the Raiders are making a playoff push, but if they are out of the mix, there’s no reason to risk him making things worse.
Miller is the Raiders‘ best and most consistent offensive lineman, so this is a massive loss that could be difficult to overcome.
Who Will Replace Miller on OL?
It’s hard enough to find one good left tackle, so not many teams have capable backup left tackles. Shortly before the season, the Raiders signed veteran tackle Stone Forsythe, who previously played for Pete Carroll on the Seattle Seahawks.
He has started 14 games in his career, but has given up a lot of pressures. There’s been speculation that rookie Charles Grant will take over for Miller, but it sounds like Forsythe is going to get the first crack at the job.
“Stone’s played a lot of football and done a nice job for us, and he would be the first choice,” Carroll told reporters on Monday.
The Raiders can’t be afraid to pivot off Forsythe if he struggles. If he’s not much better than Grant, they might as well give the rookie some reps. The team could also consider moving right tackle DJ Glaze to the left side, which is where he played in college, but then that would create an issue on the right side.
Raiders OL Is in Trouble
The Raiders‘ offensive line has already been struggling this season. They finally started to build some momentum against the Bears, but now that’s getting thrown out the window.
Miller was the leader of the group and just signed a huge contract extension before the season. He will be very difficult to replace. That said, the Raiders do have some young players who could step up.
This will be a great opportunity for anybody who gets reps at left tackle. It’s the most important position on the offensive line, so playing well could lead to a lot more positive attention. It’s hard to imagine Forsythe will suddenly turn into an impact player in his fifth year, but perhaps Grant could take advantage of the opportunity whenever he’s eventually put into the lineup.
Raiders Get Worse-Than-Expected News on Kolton Miller’s Injury