This side of Tre Tucker, the Las Vegas Raiders have gotten next to nothing from their wide receivers this season. A big culprit for that is Kirk Cousins' limitations under center, but the group is still generally thin in every respect.
The Raiders are set to get the two wide receivers that they drafted in 2025 back healthy soon. Jack Bech hasn't played since suffering a broken forearm in Week 3, but all indications are that he will practice this week, and there's a chance he could play against the New York Jets on Sunday.
Dont'e Thornton Jr. opened the season on IR due to a hamstring injury. His 21-day activation window opened on Oct. 7, which means he had to be activated by Wednesday, Oct. 28, or he'd have to miss the entire season. Las Vegas waited until the 11th hour, but Thornton Jr. was activated on Tuesday.
And now he's really got something to prove to this new staff.
Raiders almost run the clock all the way out before activating Donte Thornton Jr.
Head coach Klint Kubiak, who has already demonstrated that he can't be trusted when it comes to simply being honest about injuries, offered a non-answer on Monday when he was asked if Thornton Jr. would be activated.
"That's a decision we don't have to make 'til Wednesday."
That answer from Kubiak could've been taken a couple of ways, but it was a noted contrast to the more prevalent optimism about Bech's return. Clearly, the Raiders are not as bullish on the 2025 fourth-rounder, and it's easy to see why. But it should light a fire under Thornton Jr.
Maybe Thornton Jr. was given all the time he needed to prove he's ready to be activated, as he spent most of the offseason on the sideline. He had to play catch-up. But there were no practices between Kubiak's response and when he'd have to be activated or not.
It's unclear how much could change in that time.
Or maybe Thornton Jr.'s status was absolutely clear, one way or the other, and Kubiak didn't want to say, simply because he didn't have to. While annoying, that's the coach's prerogative to play it close to the vest, and it would be in line with what he's done all season.
On Tuesday, when the Raiders announced that Thornton Jr. had been added to the 53-man roster, defensive tackle Jonah Laulu was waived in a corresponding move. That was surely not a decision that they took lightly, as he's a Las Vegas native and has been a fixture for three seasons now.
Perhaps that is a vote of confidence for Thornton Jr.
Activating him does not guarantee that Thornton Jr. will suit up against the Jets, or for any game after that. It also wouldn't make sense to put him on the active roster if he can't actually play and contribute immediately, though.
If he can't suit up at some point in the next couple of games, the team's decision to open his 21-day window when it did will easily be questioned.
Thornton's struggles as a rookie were hardly unique among last year's Raiders' rookie class. His chance at a second-year mulligan under Kubiak and a new coaching staff has been derailed by what has to have been a rather severe hamstring injury.
But with an opportunity that should be there for him now, his chance to put his career on a good track this season isn't gone just yet. Thornton Jr. should be motivated after it took so long to activate him, and he should be ready with three full weeks of practice under his belt. Let's see what he can do.
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