Raiders lose Kyler Fackrell for season

The Las Vegas Raiders have suffered their first known major injury of training camp as the team has put linebacker Kyler Fackrell on the injured reserve.

The free-agent addition has an undisclosed injured. Since he was put on the injured reserve before preseason cuts were made, Fackrell is not eligible to play for the Raiders in 2022.

Fackrell signed a one-year, $1.187 million deal with the Raiders this offseason with most of it being guaranteed. Fackrell played with the Los Angeles Chargers last season. Fackrell, 30, has history with Raiders’ defensive coordinator Patrick Graham. Fackrell played for Graham in 2018 with the Green Bay Packers and in 2020 with the New York Giants. Fackrell had 10.5 sacks with Graham as his position coach in Green Bay. He has 23.5 sacks in six NFL seasons.

Fackrell was expected to be the Raiders’ third pass-rush option behind stars Maxx Crosby and Chandler Jones. With him out, second-year player Malcolm Koonce and former No. 4 overall pick Clelin Ferrell will need to step up. Las Vegas could also had pass-rush depth later in the preseason. Fackrell’s loss isn’t major, but it hurts the team’s depth at pass-rusher.

To take his place on the roster, Las Vegas signed running back Austin Walter. The Rice product has 104 career yards on 27 rush attempts with the New York Jets and San Francisco 49ers. Rookie running back Zamir White has been out of camp for a week, but coach Josh McDaniels said he expects him back soon. So, Walter may be a long shot to make the roster.