Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up

Obi Melifonwu remains out of team drills and not close, according to Jon Gruden

Connecticut v South Florida

TAMPA, FL - OCTOBER 15: Tight end Mitchell Wilcox #89 of the South Florida Bulls catches a pass behind safety Obi Melifonwu #20 of the Connecticut Huskies for a touchdown during the fourth quarter at Raymond James Stadium on October 15, 2016 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Jason Behnken / Getty Images)

Getty Images

It was only a month ago that Jon Gruden declared Obi Melifonwu and Gareon Conley “really close” to returning. While Conley was in team drills Tuesday during the Raiders’ organized team activities, Melifonwu remains a bystander during team drills and no longer “close.”

“He doesn’t look close to me at all,” Gruden said, via Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “I’ll leave it at that. He doesn’t look close to me at all.”

Melifonwu, a second-round pick in 2017, began last season on injured reserve with a knee injury and finished it on injured reserve with a hip injury. He continues to rehab his hip, sitting out 11-on-11 work.

“Haven’t seen much of Obi except in the training room,” Gruden said.

Melifonwu played in only five games, with one start, last season. He played 34 defensive snaps and 42 special teams snaps.