Las Vegas Raiders: Sitting starters the right move in 2023 Preseason Week 3

The finale of the Las Vegas Raiders 2023 preseason slate will take place on Saturday, as the Silver and Black head to Dallas to take on the Cowboys. In the final tuneup before the regular season kicks off for the Raiders on September 10, there is a lot riding on this game for many guys on the cut line.

Then there are the bonafide starters for the Raiders, guys like Davante Adams, Maxx Crosby, and Jimmy Garoppolo who gain nothing from playing in this game. Those guys should have their eyes set on the Denver Broncos already, as the team hopes to get out to not only a 1-0 overall record, but win their first AFC West game of the season.

Speaking to the media this week, McDaniels had this to say in regards to his starters playing against Dallas.

"“I don’t know that we are going to put some guys out there again,” McDaniels said in his Wednesday press conference. “Like I said, the four joint practices really were huge for us because there was a huge chunk of work that those guys got in those practices."

- Josh McDaniels

That is a smart move by McDaniels and his staff, as the starters have gotten more than enough work this summer. Garoppolo is also coming off an injury, so having him at 100 percent heading into the season opener is the best-case scenario for a Raiders team looking to shake off a six-win season from a year ago.

Raiders looking to complete second straight undefeated preseason

For the second straight summer, the Raiders will be looking to cap off an undefeated preseason, which did not equate to success during the 2022 campaign. The Raiders have been impressive this summer, as they appear deeper than their first two opponents, but none of that matters until the 1s line up against the 1s in September.

Going into Week 1 as healthy as possible was priority No. 1 from the outset, and the Raiders have no significant injuries going into the Denver game as of now. Sitting the starters for this one will at least guarantee they will remain healthy on Saturday.