11 catches for 169 yards and one touchdown.
Those were Cody White's career stats through 30 games across six seasons before he grabbed two passes for 24 yards and two touchdowns on Sunday alone in the Las Vegas Raiders' 26-14 win over the Los Angeles Chargers. And both of his scores came at critical junctures in the big rivalry game.
Last week, White made his mark on special teams. This week, he did so on offense. Here's the kicker: White isn't even technically on the Raiders' roster; he was elevated from the practice squad two games in a row. Las Vegas can only elevate him one more time before having to sign him to the 53.
And in just two games, White has more than made his case for Klint Kubiak and Co., who were familiar with him from their time together with the Seattle Seahawks, to add him to the active roster at this early juncture in the 2026 NFL season before another team poaches him from the practice squad.
Las Vegas Raiders' Cody White balled out in Week 2 win over the Chargers
White came to Las Vegas on September 1, but he was a bit of a footnote as the final player added to the practice squad. Seemingly, the only notable things about him were that, at the time, he was the only one on the practice squad who didn't spend the offseason with the Raiders, and he knew Kubiak.
But he was activated in Week 1 against the Miami Dolphins because Kubiak trusts him. White rewarded Kubiak for his trust by chasing down a Dolphins kick returner bound for the end zone, which ultimately saved seven points for Las Vegas. He was rightfully awarded a game ball for the effort.
It was no surprise, then, for White to be activated in Week 2. What came as a shock, though, was that his role on offense changed. Against Miami, White wasn't involved in the passing attack very much, mainly serving as a run blocker. In the Chargers game, though, he was almost a focal point at times.
Both of his targets came at crucial points in the game, as the Raiders were down 14-10 late in the third quarter, and it was third-and-10 from the Los Angeles 13-yard line. Las Vegas had to convert here, or they'd have to settle for a field goal. What happened next?
"That touchdown catch over here on third-and-long changed the game," Kirk Cousins told a reporter. "He [wasn't] open, I just gave him a chance, and he made me right."
From White's point of view:
"We knew we were looking for that coverage, and Kirk threw the ball up and gave me a great chance to go up and make a play," White said. "And then that's history for that. So, just being able to go up and make a play for the quarterback and him putting a great ball on me and it was just... touchdown."
His second score of the day came in the fourth quarter, as the Raiders turned a takeaway into seven more points. Kubiak schemed White wide open near the goal line, and the practice squad elevation came down with his second touchdown of the day to push the lead to 10 points.
Lost in this performance is the fact that he played another 16 special teams snaps and performed very well in that phase of the game, too. White has been a pleasant surprise for the Silver and Black so far this year after being such a late addition. He's a football player, not a robot, and he makes plays.
Raiders should award Cody White with spot on 53-man roster after incredible showing
Las Vegas clearly values special teams, and the team could use a big-bodied player on the outside who can haul in tough catches in the red zone. Yes, two receptions is a small sample size, but his skill set is what they should be focused on, and he's the best contested catcher in the receiver room.
Because of the NFL's practice squad elevation rules, the Raiders can elevate White again next week while keeping him stashed, but if they wanted to do so again in Week 4, they would have to sign him to the 53-man roster. At this point, they may as well just get ahead of that and sign him right now.
In the meantime, White is just sitting on the Las Vegas practice squad, ripe for the taking, as any NFL team can sign him to its active roster right now. Signing White would both help the team and prevent it from losing a player who has made winning plays in each of the Raiders' two big wins.
Yes, the Silver and Black have a lot of great players on special teams who could potentially fill his role, and Brock Bowers is coming back to help with the contested-catch situation. And there is not a clear-cut player on the current roster who could be cut in favor of White.
But the Raiders shouldn't even risk losing White, and signing him after such strong play would be a tremendous message to send to a young Raiders team that is still building a culture and learning how to win. The two games that White has played are an iron-clad case to be on the 53. Get it done!
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