There is some positive news on the injury front for the Raiders.
According to multiple reporters on the scene, defensive end Maxx Crosby returned to the practice field on Thursday after he was sidelined for Wednesday’s session with a back injury.
Crosby was injured during the team’s Week 7 loss to the Chiefs just before Las Vegas’ Week 8 bye. Crosby usually plays nearly every defensive snap, but was on the field for just 40 percent of the reps in that contest.
Defensive tackle Adam Butler was also on the field for Thursday’s practice.
Crosby and Butler’s participation level will be revealed with the Raiders’ injury report later in the day.
Over the last week, there has been a lot of focus on gambling in the sports world, given the arrests involving current members of the NBA.
At least one coach elected not to stress the NFL’s gambling policy over the last week, with San Francisco’s Kyle Shanahan noting that it was more of an offseason issue.
But with the Jaguars playing the Raiders in Las Vegas this weekend, their first-year head coach Liam Coen isn’t trying to leave anything up to chance.
He told reporters in his Wednesday press conference that the issue came up on Monday and he’ll go over it again on Friday in team meetings.
“That is, I know, something that we’re all taking seriously,” Coen said, via transcript from the team. “This is a business trip. We should have absolutely zero issues with that, but I understand and appreciate the seriousness of it all. It’s real. It’s happening in our world. Obviously, the fantasy, the betting, and all that. It’s a big deal in our world. And so, we addressed it on Monday. We’ll address it again before we leave that guys, we’re going a little bit earlier in the morning, Saturday morning, obviously with Florida-Georgia coming up this weekend. So, we’re getting out there earlier. We will be practicing at a local school, but when we do get back to that hotel, guys, we’re all business here.”
While many hotels in Las Vegas also function as casinos, Coen has told the players to stick to team-controlled environments.
“Don’t even go have a dinner in there guys,” Coen said, referring to all casinos and sportsbooks. “Let’s just stay away. We got great food in our area here. Let’s just stay away from all that.”
This will be the second matchup between the Jaguars and Raiders in Las Vegas. Last year, the Raiders defeated Jacksonville 19-14 in Week 16.
Tight end Brock Bowers is “ready to roll” after missing the past three games with a knee injury. He was a full participant in Wednesday’s practice.
“The first part of the season was tough [and] not feeling 100 percent, but I’m closer now,” Bowers said, via Ryan McFadden of ESPN.
He returned to practice as a limited participant on Oct. 17 and participated in both of the team’s practices during the off week last week.
“He’s back,” Raiders coach Pete Carroll said. “Last week, he looked good every day, particularly good on the Monday practice, and he kind of stole the show a little bit. So, we’re thrilled to have him back.”
After the season-opening win over the Patriots, an MRI showed Bowers injured the posterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in addition to having a bone bruise, according to ESPN. He played through the injury for three weeks but made only 14 catches for 122 yards before being shut down to heal.
“It sucked, to be honest,” Bowers said. “But it’s in the past. I’m excited to get back out there.”
Marcedes Lewis still isn’t ready to hang up his cleats.
The 41-year-old tight end has agreed to sign with the Broncos, according to multiple reports.
Denver has been seeking help at tight end with multiple injuries at the position. Lewis fits the bill as a solid blocker.
A first-round pick in 2006 — the same year Mario Williams went No. 1 and Reggie Bush went No. 2 — Lewis is entering his 20th pro season. He had played all 17 games in each of the last four seasons before he went unsigned this offseason. In 2024, he was on the field for 19 percent of Chicago’s offensive snaps and 12 percent of special teams snaps.
He caught just one 2-yard pass for Chicago last year. He has just 11 receptions over the last three seasons, despite playing all 17 games in each of them.
In his 285 career games with 229 starts, Lewis has caught 437 passes for 5,115 yards with 40 touchdowns for the Jaguars, Packers, and Bears.
Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. has not had the same kind of impact in 2025 that he had during his rookie season, but the team isn’t thinking about sending him elsewhere ahead of the trade deadline.
That was the message from head coach Liam Coen in a post-bye press conference on Monday. Coen said that he saw a report over the weekend indicating the Jaguars could make a move involving Thomas and wanted to nip the idea in the bud.
“We have no plans on moving Brian Thomas Jr. at all,” Coen said.
Thomas has 27 catches for 365 yards and a touchdown this season, but has had an issue with dropped passes and his effort level has been criticized at times. Coen said he’s “very optimistic” that Thomas will be better over the remaining games and that the bye week is a “good reset” for players. Thomas will get a chance to show that he’s moving in the right direction against the Raiders in Week 9.
