Raiders Make Announcement on Key Player Who Has Been out All Season
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Las Vegas Raiders DB Lonnie Johnson Jr.
The Las Vegas Raiders have had some very bad injury luck this season. Many key players and starters have had to miss games.
One of the early injuries the team had to deal with was to defensive back Lonnie Johnson Jr. He impressed the coaching staff in the offseason and appeared to be in line to possibly start.
Unfortunately, he suffered a fractured fibula in training camp and had to start the season on Injured Reserve. He’s been itching to get back on the field, and he’s getting closer. The Raiders announced on Monday that Johnson has returned to practice.
Johnson has had a tough road since being a second-round pick in 2019. He seems to really like being with the Raiders and could have a long-term future with the team if he plays well.
Head coach Pete Carroll has spoken very highly of Johnson, so it stands to reason they’d be interested in bringing him back next season.
“We really miss Lonnie. I think we recognize Lonnie in a way that he hasn’t been recognized in the earlier parts of his career,” Carroll said in August after Johnson got hurt. “With great respect to the variety of things that he adds to the team and all, we really are going to miss him. We had a number of things that we had specially that he could do well in contributing to the defense and so we have to work a little bit to figure out how other guys can take those kinds of concepts and make them work for us. Lonnie’s in good spirits. He knows that it’s a good chance that it’s a minimal amount of time to get back. These five weeks are hugely important to him, so he can get back within 4-5 weeks into the season or whatever it is and we’ll really enjoy when he gets a chance to come back.”
Johnson Talks Return to Practice
Johnson has posted pictures online of himself watching Raiders games in his full uniform while his foot was still in a cast. He’s been very eager to return to the football field and make his Raiders debut.
Johnson is hoping to prove not that he just deserves playing time this season, but that he deserves a long-term contract with the team.
“Just taking it one day at a time,” Johnson said Monday,
Raiders Could Use the Help
The Raiders’ defense has been inconsistent, especially in the passing game. Kyu Blu Kelly has been really struggling, but the coaching staff seems apprehensive to give rookie
Johnson has experience playing at safety and cornerback, but it remains to be seen where they’d like to play him. He’d make sense as a replacement for Kelly as one of the starting cornerbacks.
Steelers Sign Aaron Rodgers’ Former WR
PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers made sure they helped out quarterback Aaron Rodgers, giving him a wide reicever he has great rapport with.
Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reported that the wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling plans to sign with the Steelers and reunite with Rodgers.
Steelers Host Marquez Valdes-Scantling for Workout
Valdes-Scantling worked out for the Steelers on Oct. 27, just a day after they lost 35-25 to the Packers at Acrisure Stadium in Week 8.
The workout went well, which allows Valdes-Scantling to join the Steelers and have a chance for more great moments with Rodgers.
Fowler reported that Valdes-Scantling will likely start on the practice squad and that it's not known when he'll join the Steelers, due to travel logistics.
Rodgers and Valdes-Scantling Share Great Connection
The Packers took Valdes-Scantling in the fifth round in the 2018 NFL Draft out of USF and he spent his first four seasons in the NFL catching passes from Rodgers.
Valdes-Scantling caught 123 passes for 2,153 yards, 17.5 average yards per reception, and 13 touchdowns during his time in Green Bay.
His best season with Rodgers came in 2020, starting 12 of 16 games and making 33 catches for 690 yards and six touchdowns, both career-highs. His 20.9 yards per reception led the NFL that season
Valdes-Scantling Moves around the NFL
Valdes-Scantling signed a three-year, $40 million deal with the Kansas City Chiefs on March 24, 2022.
He spent two seasons with the Chiefs, making 63 catches for 1,002 yards, 15.9 yards per reception, and three touchdowns in 33 games.
Valdes-Scantling won two Super Bowls with the Chiefs, including catching a touchdown in Super Bowl LVIII, a 25-22 win over the San Francisco 49ers.
His best season with the Chiefs and MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes came in 2022, where he made a career-high 42 catches for 687 yards, 16.4 yards per reception, and two touchdowns.
The Chiefs released him after the 2023 season and he spent 2024 with both the Buffalo Bills and the New Orleans Saints, playing in 14 games combined. He had 17 catches for 385 yards and four touchdowns with the Saints in eight starts.
He signed with the 49ers practice squad on Aug. 27, but a calf injury landed him on injured reserve on Oct. 17 and the 49ers released him the day after.
How the Steelers Wide Receiver Corps Looks Now
The Steelers currently have six wide receivers on the 53-man active roster, which includes DK Metcalf, Scotty Miller, Ben Skowronek, Ke'Shawn Williams and Roman Wilson.
Adding Valdes-Scantling gives them a veteran presence on a roster with either younger wide outs or older, but less productive ones.
It also allows Rodgers a wide receiver that he has worked with before, which should make for a more effective offense overall.
