Raiders Injury News: Darren Waller out against Chiefs

For the second week in a row, the Las Vegas Raiders will be without their best player, tight end, Darren Waller. The Raiders released their final injury report for the week and officially ruled Waller out with the same strained IT band that caused him to leave the game early against the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving.

There was some hope that the team’s top pass-catcher might suit up this Sunday when interim head Coach Rich Bisaccia said Waller was “day-to-day”, but the writing was on the wall when he didn’t practice all week.

The next man up will be Foster Moreau, who had one catch for 34 yards while filling in for the starter a week ago.

Las Vegas will also be without defensive end Carl Nassib for the second week in a row, stemming from a knee injury that he coincidentally also suffered against the Cowboys. That could mean more reps for rookie Malcolm Koonce, who made his NFL debut last week and got his first sack as a professional.

Linebacker Patrick Onwuasor will also be out for consecutive games, and fellow linebacker Denzel Perryman is listed as doubtful. That could pave way for another first-year player in Divine Deablo, one of the few positive standouts from the Silver and Black against the Football Team.

The injury report wasn’t all grim for the Raiders’ backers, though. Starter Cory Littleton was a full-go in practice after being limited all week and exiting early against Washington with a shoulder injury.

Las Vegas’ injury news did come with another turn for the worst, however. Bisaccia said guard Richie Incognito, who has played in a game since Week 2 of 2020, is unlikely to return this year, per The Athletic’s Tashan Reed.

The Kansas City Chiefs released their final injury report as well, however, it’s a lot less noteworthy. Backup cornerback Chris Lammons has been ruled out, while fellow cornerback Rashad Fenton is questionable.

Kansas City might be getting its starting right tackle back this week, as Lucas Niang is officially questionable with a ribs injury. If Niang can’t go, the Chiefs will likely turn to Andrew Wylie, who surrendered nine pressures to Maxx Crosby and Co. the last time these two teams squared off.

Either way, the Chiefs are heading into Sunday as the healthier team, making things a little more difficult for the Raiders to pull off the upset and keep their modest playoff hopes alive. Who knows, bigger underdogs have persevered this year so maybe the Silver and Black will surprise us all.