Outside of a few concerns at wide receiver, training camp has been going well for the Las Vegas Raiders. And perhaps most important is the fact that the team came in with incredible health, as all 91 players practiced the first two days, which gives the staff an honest look at the roster competitions.
But that changed during Friday's session. Not only were tight end Carter Runyon and running back Chris Collier not out on the practice field according to The Athletic's Sam Warren, but defensive end Kwity Paye also left early with a trainer and did not return.
Thankfully, head coach Klint Kubiak came in with a positive update after practice No. 3.
"He is [okay]. We're just trying to be smart," Kubiak told reporters when asked about Paye. "Guys get little nicks there, we want to make sure we get them to the full padded days, so we're going to be smart with him."
Phew!
Raiders fans should be relieved to learn Kwity Paye's injury is apparently nothing serious
Paye arrived in Las Vegas earlier this offseason on a three-year, $48 million deal. While some labeled this as an overpay, the Raiders needed to get serious about adding talent opposite Maxx Crosby, and Paye has the chance to be the best player that The Condor has played alongside for years.
He is expected to start on the edge with Crosby, but Paye should still rotate heavily with Malcolm Koonce and Keyron Crawford. Either way, not having Paye, especially after investing so much in him this offseason, would have been a disappointing development for Rob Leonard's defense.
"I mean, he's physical. He's a very strong guy that can bend. If you're strong, you're stiff, right? And he can bend," Leonard told reporters on Thursday. "I love Kwity. I loved Kwity coming out of Michigan when he came out. Physicality, size, versatility, consistent as a human being with his routine. Emotionally, he's the same guy every day. He's a fun guy to coach."
Injuries are an unfortunate but unavoidable part of professional football, and teams around the league have already seen key players go down with season-ending injuries in the early stages of training camp. It's a part of life in the NFL, yes, but certainly the worst part of it.
Fortunately, it seems as though Paye should be just fine. The Raiders will take Saturday off from practice before hosting an open session for fans on Sunday, August 2. It remains to be seen whether Paye will be out there for that or not.
However, it is, by all means, great news that Las Vegas seems to have avoided disaster here at training camp. It is never a good thing when a player leaves the field and doesn't return, especially one who will be as critical to the defensive process as Paye will be during the 2026 NFL season.
Sounds like the Raiders caught a break, though.
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