Just when you thought the Las Vegas Raiders were done making roster alterations, John Spytek sat in his presumably very large office at the beautiful Intermountain Health Performance Center in Henderson, Nevada, and said, "Watch this trio of moves!" And watch, we did.
The most notable move of the three was second-year wide receiver Dont'e Thornton Jr. being placed on the injured reserve. This freed up a roster spot, so the Raiders re-signed linebacker Segun Olubi. And for good measure, they rounded out their practice squad with wide receiver Cody White.
Now, once again, the roster in Las Vegas is whole with 53 healthy players, and the practice squad is now full with a hearty 17. Let's dive into what each of these moves means, both for the player and for the organization.
Raiders place Dont'e Thornton Jr. on IR, re-sign Segun Olubi to active roster
Thornton Jr. spent almost all of the preseason on the sideline, as he missed the majority of training camp and the entire exhibition slate with an undisclosed injury. It was not specified that he has a designation to return, but The Athletic's Sam Warren reported that Thornton Jr. can return in 2026.
But Thornton Jr. will still be forced to miss at least the first four weeks of the season by being put on IR, meaning he won't be eligible to play until Week 5's game against the New England Patriots. For a young receiver who badly needs to develop, this is bad news for him and for the organization.
Spytek was banking on Thornton Jr. and other young wideouts developing this offseason and being contributors this fall, but the second-year player from Tennessee is now even further behind the 8-Ball. Plus, his being put on IR leaves the Raiders' wide receiver room with only five bodies.
Tre Tucker, Jalen Nailor, Jack Bech, Malik Benson and Dareke Young will have to hold it down for the Silver and Black out wide in Thornton Jr.'s absence. In the corresponding move, of course, Las Vegas brought back linebacker Segun Olubi, whom they signed in free agency and released at cutdowns.
Olubi didn't have an offseason or preseason to necessarily celebrate, so it wasn't all too shocking to see him end up on the wrong side of the line when the Raiders trimmed the roster. But the linebacker room was thin with just four players, so Olubi was brought back now that Thornton Jr. is out.
He will be the fifth linebacker behind Quay Walker, Nakobe Dean, Cody Lindenberg and Tommy Eichenberg. Olubi will also be called upon to help anchor a fairly young special teams unit. It's also possible, however, that Olubi is inactive on game day.
Raiders sign WR Cody White to finalize their 2026 practice squad
When the Raiders announced their practice squad, it was notable that they were a player short. Many, including us, felt that they were saving that spot for whoever was waived in the corresponding move for cornerback Darrell Luter Jr., whom the team claimed on Monday morning.
Ultimately, the waived player was Decamerion Richardson, and it seemed like he had a shot to return to Las Vegas. However, that door has now closed with the addition of White, the only external player added to the practice squad, a 27-year-old wide receiver who has been in the NFL since 2020.
White stands at 6-foot-3 and weighs 227 pounds, so he has good size for a pass-catcher. And he spent the last four seasons with the Seattle Seahawks, bouncing between the practice squad and active roster, so he knows head coach Klint Kubiak from last season's Super Bowl squad.
His familiarity with those in the building doesn't end there, though. White was a teammate of both Jalen Nailor and Connor Heyward at Michigan State in college, so the trio of former Spartans is now reunited in Sin City.
Last season in Kubiak's offense, White caught three passes for 90 yards, which included a 60-yard touchdown catch. 2025 was his most productive professional season to date, at least in terms of his contributions on offense. White has also played a role on special teams.
In four seasons, White has played 280 special teams snaps, logging reps on the kick coverage and return units, as well as the punt coverage and return squads. This isn't a major signing, but White is familiar with Kubiak and is one of just two wideouts on the practice squad.
Add us as a preferred source on Google