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The Las Vegas Raiders were looking healthy heading into Week 1 of the 2024 regular season until defensive end Malcolm Koonce hurt his knee at Thursday’s practice. Head coach Antonio Pierce shed some light on the injury and it’s bad news for the team.
Pierce revealed that Koonce is out for Week 1 and it’s possible he could be out even longer.
“When one guy’s (down), next man up mentality,” Pierce said during his September 6 press conference. “The thing about it, Tyree Wilson, JRob [Janarius Robinson], those guys have had a lot of opportunities to play and we expect them to step up and play well.”
The coach didn’t reveal a timeline for when Koonce could be back but it was a non-contact injury, which is always cause for concern. The Athletic’s Tashan Reed noted in a September 6 X post that the Raiders could be playing it safe with the defensive end.
Until the team offers more details, it’s difficult to know the severity of the injury. This would be a huge blow to the Raiders as Koonce was coming off a breakout season where he had a career-high 8.0 sacks. This was going to be his first season as a full-time starter and he was expected to make an impact as Maxx Crosby’s running mate on the other side of the defensive line.
Tyree Wilson Needs to Step Up
The Raiders used the No. 7 pick on Tyree Wilson just a year ago but he didn’t show the team much during his rookie season. He had just 3.5 sacks and wasn’t often in the pass rushing rotation.
With Koonce not playing against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 1, Wilson will have a bigger role. He feels like he’s ready for the moment.
“I’ve been practicing for my moment. I hate it; Malcolm’s my brother. But this is the start of the season so I’ve got to go out there and represent like he would want me to,” Wilson told ESPN’s Paul Gutierrez on September 6. “I have been taking this approach serious the whole summer. So we’ll just keep doing the thing and just do one snap at a time and do my job.
“Man, I was there on the field with [Koonce] when he went down. I prayed that it wasn’t a major injury, but this game, you’ve got to keep moving forward. So, we’ve got a game this week and that’s my focus. This training camp was great. Actually getting to work on fundamentals and being able to know different formations and backfield sets that helped me get the edge on the offense. So this training camp was way different than last year.”
Wilson emerging as an impact player would be a big deal for the Raiders.
Malcolm Koonce in Contract Year
It would be brutal for Koonce if he ends up missing extended time. He’s entering a contract year and didn’t sign an extension. Another season with 8.0 or more sacks likely would’ve led to a huge payday.
It’s still possible that he’s only missing Week 1. That would be big for his contract chances. He’s an emerging young pass rusher but needs to be on the field to prove he deserves a big contract.
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