Raiders report: Star tight end returns to practice

Raiders report

Schedule

All practices at Intermountain Healthcare Performance Center, unless noted:

Thursday — Practice, 11 a.m.

Friday — Practice, 11 a.m.

Saturday — Off

Sunday — vs. Los Angeles Chargers, Allegiant Stadium, 5:25 p.m.

Monday — Rich Bisaccia news conference, 1 p.m.

Quote of the day

There is a scenario which could occur Sunday that would allow both the Chargers and Raiders to make the playoffs should they play to a tie.

It has become a hot topic on the Internet, though such an agreement between the teams would be incredibly unlikely and could even bring heat from the league.

Still, should the Jaguars beat the Colts and the Steelers beat the Ravens earlier in the day, the Chargers and Raiders will take the field in prime time on NBC knowing they could either try to win and take the chance of being left out of the postseason or shake hands and take knees to guarantee both teams qualify.

Chargers coach Brandon Staley dismissed the idea during an appearance on Rich Eisen’s radio show on Tuesday. Raiders interim coach Rich Bisaccia followed suit on Wednesday.

“I don’t think I ever passed math, so I don’t even know what the hell you just talked about,” he said of the complicated scenario. “All I know is we’re really excited about the opportunity in front of us on Sunday night. We’re going to look to put our best foot forward and put a product on the field ‘Raider Nation’ can be proud of. That’s kind of our focus right now.

Injury report

Tight end Darren Waller returned to the practice field for Wednesday’s walk-through session, fueling optimism he could return for Sunday’s pivotal game against the Chargers.

He has not played since injuring his knee and back during a Thanksgiving Day win over the Cowboys. He was listed as a limited participant on the injury report.

“He got a chance to run around a little bit in practice and is starting to get more comfortable,” Bisaccia said. “We’d like to see him, as he can, pick up the pace a little bit in practice and maybe take a few more reps each day to get to a point where he feels like he can go.”

Defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins missed the session with a back injury. Wide receiver DeSean Jackson and center Nick Martin got veteran rest days.

Running back Josh Jacobs (ribs), safety Tre’von Moehrig (shoulder) and linebacker Denzel Perryman (ankle) were all limited on Wednesday.

Transactions

Waller was formally activated from the reserve/COVID-19 list on Wednesday, along with defensive end Carl Nassib and offensive lineman Jordan Simmons.

The team also released linebacker Will Compton and waived linebacker Justin March-Lillard.

Compton, a popular figure on social media, posted a video announcing the team had moved on from him. He said he was informed by Bisaccia on Wednesday morning.

“I gave him a huge hug and thanked him for absolutely everything,” Compton said. “I would do anything for that man. Coach Bisaccia is the best. Everybody in that building has been so good to me these last few weeks as everything has unfolded for me personally.”

The 32-year-old signed with the Raiders on Dec. 8 as the linebacking corps dealt with injuries and a COVID breakout, but the roster is getting healthier. Compton’s mother died the day before the Raiders played the Browns.

Adam Hill Las Vegas Review-Journal