Silver Minings: J.C. Jackson could return from injury by Sunday

Rooting for or hoping for an injury is never the way to go about things but there’s no denying that when one happens, it’s an advantage for the opposing team, especially when a star player like J.C. Jackson goes down.

Jackson had ankle surgery two weeks ago today — August 23rd — and was given a two- to four-week recovery timeline that could hold him out of this Sunday’s season opener against the Las Vegas Raiders. However, according to Sports Illustrated’s Nick Cothrel, Chargers head coach Brandon Staley seems optimistic about the cornerback’s return.

“J.C. is working out. He’s trending positive,” Staley said. “He’s working out hard. He’s in good spirits. I think, over this weekend, we’ll be able to tell you a lot more about his practice prospects for next week. He’s making good progress.”

Jackson is in a walking boot, for now. But nonetheless, he’s still been able to complete workouts with his teammates.

It’s still unclear how soon Jackson will get the green light to suit up and play. But based on the updates Staley has provided, it sounds as if things are coming along well.

“When that [the walking boot] comes off, I think we’ll have a lot stronger sense of where he stands,” Staley said of Jackson’s timeline for return.

In summary, Jackson’s status for Week 1 is still questionable but it does seem like he’ll return sooner rather than later. If the Pro Bowler can’t go, that’ll leave Asante Samuel Jr., Bryce Callahan and Derwin James Jr. to line up across from Davante Adams, Hunter Renfrow and Darren Waller.

In other Raiders’ links:

• More proof Adams is the top WR: CBS Sports recently tweeted that the Raiders' new wideout leads the league in receptions (432), receiving yards (5,310) and touchdowns (47) since 2018.
• Attacking the Chargers’ coverage: our Marcus Johnson took a deep dive into the stats for LA’s secondary to find their weaknesses.
• Free agents Raiders should pursue: Kristopher Knox from Bleacher Report names three players who are still available on the open market Las Vegas should target.
• Kyle Peko signs to practice squad: that’ll round out the p-squad as 14 of the 16 players on it were in Las Vegas for camp.