The Raiders may well have tight end Michael Mayer on the field when they play the Dolphins on Sunday.
Las Vegas has listed Mayer as questionable as he returns from the non-football illness list. Mayer was a full participant in practice all week, but still must be activated to the 53-man roster.
Head coach Antonio Pierce said in his Friday press conference that things were “trending up” for Mayer to play.
In three games this year, Mayer has four catches for 21 yards. But now that Davante Adams has been traded, Mayer’s role in the offense could expand — even with Brock Bowers being Las Vegas’ primary receiving option.
“Yeah obviously, he’s always been a part of the plan first and foremost,” Pierce said. “But obviously with losing people through injuries or trades, I think there’s obviously an opportunity there for him. But really, I think just getting him back to par with our team, obviously new offensive coordinator there with Scott Turner and just getting back in the fold, you want to be smart with it. You want to be smart.
“But obviously, Mike is a big part of our plans this year, this week and the future. So, the more we can get him involved, the better.”
The Raiders have ruled out cornerback Nate Hobbs (ankle), tight end Harrison Bryant (ankle), center Andre James (ankle), and guard Cody Whitehair (ankle).
Defensive end Maxx Crosby (ankle), cornerback Jakorian Bennett (hip), receive Jakobi Meyers (hamstring), offensive tackle Kolton Miller (ankle), guard Dylan Parham (foot), offensive lineman Andrus Peat (ankle), and linebacker Robert Spillane (knee) are all off the injury report and are set to play.
Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel opened up his Friday press conference by fielding a question about cornerback Jalen Ramsey.
Ramsey popped up on the injury report on Thursday as a limited participant in practice due to a knee injury. McDaniel was asked about the circumstances of the injury and his outlook for Sunday’s game against the Raiders.
“Something that came up during practice,” McDaniel said. “We’ll see how it plays out today. Either way, I don’t rule out warriors like he is. An internal part of our team. I know that he’ll do what he is able to do today. We’ll be optimistic for the game knowing that if he doesn’t play it’s because he can’t.”
Ramsey has not missed a game this season and has 35 tackles, an interception, and four passes defensed.
Linebacker Tyrel Dodson was waived by the Seahawks on Wednesday despite being the team’s leading tackler. He is confused as to the reason.
“We’re still trying to figure that out,” Dodson said Thursday after the Dolphins claimed him off waivers, via David Furones of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. “Emotionally, I’m still going through ups and downs of it. I’m pissed off. I’m very pissed off, and I’m going to probably stay pissed off until my career ends, years down the road. I’m pissed off. That’s the word.”
Dodson said he won’t carry it as extra motivation, though.
“Nah, I’m always pissed off when I step on the field,” he said. “That’s just how I play.”
Dodson leads the Seahawks with 71 tackles and, while starting all nine games, also made five tackles for loss, two sacks and a forced fumble. He said he is a “baller” and the Seahawks “are losing a good one.”
“I think I played pretty well,” Dodson said. “Led the team in tackles. There’s a new culture over there. A lot of the guys leaned on me. I leaned on them. I was a leader.
“(One) man’s trash is another man’s treasure. It is what it is.”
Twice in the past week, a curiosity (to say the least) emerged regarding the accuracy of injury reports. Asked about both situations, the league did not provide a specific response.
First, Eagles coach Nick Sirianni inadvertently said quarterback Jalen Hurts missed practice due to an ankle injury. Hurts had been listed as having the day off due to rest. Sirianni said he confused Hurts with someone else.
Second, Dolphins receiver Tyreek Hill disclosed on Monday night that the wrist injury first disclosed in advance of Week 10 had been lingering since before the regular season.
We asked the NFL for comment about both situations. The response was generic: “The league routinely communicates with a club when questions arise concerning the injury report.”
Frankly, that should be a given. But what is the nature and extent of the communications? Is the NFL trying to identify and rectify violations? Or is the NFL trying to avoid revealing to the world that teams are taking liberties with the injury-reporting rules?
Punishments are very rare. The violations seem to be much more prevalent, if not rampant.
And there’s a nonchalance to it all. For good reason. The less frequently a team gets whacked for hiding injuries, the more frequently teams will think they can do it without consequence.
For the league, one specific consequence seems inevitable. Even if there’s no legislative or executive oversight, the judicial branch is available to anyone willing and able to pay the filing fee.
It would be simple. A nationwide class action on behalf of all who legally wagered on a player to hit the over on his various prop bets during the period of time that he had an undisclosed injury without being told that he has a chronic wrist injury that potentially requires surgery.
Like Tyreek Hill. For catches, yards, and touchdowns. From Week 1 through Week 9.
Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill was on the field for practice on Thursday and he doesn’t plan to let the wrist injury that’s been bothering him this season force him off of it.
Hill appeared on the injury report because of the injury when he missed practice time last week, but later said that the wrist has been bothering him since the summer. On Thursday, Hill told reporters that he’s “locked in” to playing through the injury even though there’s been some thought given to having a surgical procedure.
“Surgery was brought up and it was talked about whenever I talked to a few of the doctors,” Hill said, via Joe Schad of the Palm Beach Post. “It’s my call at the end of the day and my call is to stay on the field.”
The fact that an operation is on the table now suggests that it will remain an option whenever Hill is done playing this season, so Hill may be going under the knife at one point or another.
