Raiders put 2 standout pass catchers on injured reserve

It’s beginning to look more and more like the Raiders will never be able to unleash the full potential of the passing offense they envisioned when they acquired star wide receiver Davante Adams this offseason.

Tight end Darren Waller and slot receiver Hunter Renfrow were placed on injured reserve Wednesday, meaning they will miss at least the next four games.

On paper, Waller and Renfrow were expected to thrive with all the defensive attention drawn by Adams. Quarterback Derek Carr had a full arsenal of weapons at his disposal and was in position for one of his best seasons.

But the quartet has been on the field together for only 67 offensive snaps this season, a number that will remain the same until at least Dec. 8 when Waller and Renfrow are eligible to come off injured reserve.

“It’s obviously a hit,” receiver Mack Hollins said Thursday after practice. “Hunter and Darren are big parts of this team, but that’s how this game goes. I’ve been on teams where we’ve lost four or five captains in one season. It’s unfortunate, but the season doesn’t stop. We had a pandemic and the season didn’t stop.”

Hollins is one of the players who will likely see an increase in targets, but he said nothing will change in his approach.

“It’s not like I go into games thinking because Hunter and Darren are here so maybe I’ll be able to relax on my routes and not get open,” he said. “I try to get open every route I run and every play I’m in, I give it everything I’ve got.”

He also expressed confidence in D.J. Turner and Keelan Cole, who could be asked to take on expanded roles over the next month.

“I feel like every day is an opportunity no matter what’s going on,” Turner said. “You just have to go out and be your best, and if your number gets called to play or make a play, you have to take advantage of it. I try to approach every day the same, so that’s not going to change today.”

Waller is dealing with a hamstring injury. Renfrow was limited Wednesday at practice with what was designated as hamstring and rib issues.

Renfrow missed two games early in the season with a concussion and has been held to 21 catches for 192 yards.

Waller suffered his injury early in a loss to the Chiefs on Oct. 10 and has worked out on the field before each of the past three games before being ruled out each week.

He said Wednesday he wanted to make sure he was 100 percent healthy before playing a game to avoid risk of an aggravation that could become a more long-term injury.

“It’s not like I’m doing anything to keep myself off the field willingly,” he said Wednesday. “I’m doing everything that I can. It just may not be happening in the timetable that I’d like for that to happen. So, I’m just extending that grace and that patience to myself because I really am trying my best to be healthy and go about my processes and my routines like I have in the past.”

Waller, who missed most of training camp dealing with a hamstring issue in his other leg, said he’s aware of chatter among fans and on social media about the pace of his recovery, but he has learned to stay on an even keel through criticism and lofty praise.

The 30-year-old played the first five games of the season after agreeing to a three-year, $51 million extension in September. He has 16 catches for 175 yards and a touchdown.

Despite two star players landing on injured reserve and defensive contributor Blake Martinez announcing his retirement, it made for what seemed like a chaotic day at the Raiders’ team facility.

Not so, according to Hollins.

“That’s the business,” he said. “We just practiced. If we had 52 new guys and I was the only guy who had been here, it’s still just practice. That’s what it is. Practice is practice.”

Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on Twitter.