Season officially ends for Raiders PK Sebastian Janikowski
ALAMEDA, Calif. — Raiders guard-tackle Denver Kirkland and kicker Sebastian Janikowski were injured in August.
Their season officially ended Tuesday.
Cornerback Antonio Hamilton was designated as the team’s second and final player to be activated from injured reserve in 2017. He participated in a walkthrough practice and is eligible to make his season debut on Dec. 10 versus the Kansas City Chiefs. Last month, he underwent arthroscopic knee surgery following an Oct. 8 meniscus tear against the Baltimore Ravens.
A team is allowed to activate only two players from IR each season.
Rookie defensive back Obi Melifonwu was the first such player. Hamilton now joins him.
“I’ve been running and doing a lot of different agility drills, trying to get to football as a whole again,” Hamilton said. “I’ve been healthy for quite some time. I was on IR, so I had to wait my (turn).”
Janikowski dealt with a back injury this offseason. Kirkland broke the fifth metatarsal in his left foot during an Aug. 12 exhibition against the Arizona Cardinals. He underwent surgery and resumed running several weeks ago. The Raiders lacked a need, however, on the O-line.
Whitney gets shot
Michael Crabtree’s suspension created an opportunity for a young teammate.
Wide receiver Isaac Whitney will be signed this week to the 53-man roster, sources said. The undrafted rookie from USC has spent the entire season on the team’s practice squad. His upcoming NFL debut follows a one-game suspension for Crabtree and Sunday’s concussion and ankle injury to Amari Cooper against the Denver Broncos.
Seth Roberts, Cordarrelle Patterson and Johnny Holton will see larger workloads on offense Sunday against the New York Giants, particularly if Cooper is inactive. The latter two are top contributors in special-teams coverage. Patterson also returns kickoffs, an assignment he’s expected to maintain Sunday.
Whitney’s special-teams ability likely helped earn him the promotion in favor of fellow practice-squad receiver Keon Hatcher. Both have been with the Raiders since shortly after the April draft.
Notable
— Cornerback David Amerson said that he expects to resume practice Wednesday and hopefully play Sunday. He has missed the past four games to a foot injury.
— Amerson offered empathy for Crabtree’s situation. A chain isn’t simply jewelry or an object, he said. It’s a symbol. “In the streets, a chain around your neck is like a trophy, something that you work hard for, something that obviously costs a lot of money, something that you value,” Amerson said. “For somebody to come and snatch that off your neck, they’re taking your manhood. They’re taking something you really value and care about. It’s a sticky situation.”
Contact reporter Michael Gehlken at mgehlken@reviewjournal.com. Follow @GehlkenNFL on Twitter.
