The Las Vegas Raiders inactives for Week 3 against the Washington Commanders do paint an uncomfortable picture for key rookie.
The Raiders hope to again see their record over .500 with a win over the Jayden Daniels-less Washington Commanders in Week 3. It is a huge break for the Raiders, who dropped to 1-1 after a very poor primetime performance in Week 2 versus the Chargers.
Vegas announced their inactives earlier today, and not only does it make many fans wonder what the plan is in the backfield, but it also paints a very uncomfortable and harsh truth for a certain rookie along the defensive line.
Raiders inactives include veteran RB Raheem Mostert and rookie DL Tonka Hemingway
This is now the second game in a row that Tonka Hemingway will be a gameday inactive, and it comes after a Week 1 performance where he didn't notch a single statistic and played in just 11 defensive snaps:
Inactives for #LVvsWAS pic.twitter.com/sP2pkAAwlp
— Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) September 21, 2025
Hemingway was a fourth-round pick by the Raiders in the 2025 NFL Draft. He is a bit undersized for the DL, but he could end up playing a crucial role for the Raiders down the line. These early-season inactives simply tells us that the rookie isn't there yet and is going to have to earn his way onto the field.
Furthermore, Raheem Mostert is inactive again, and this might be the most egregious. Zamir White hasn't exactly oozed success for the Raiders this season. He's carried the ball five times for just six yards in his two games.
On the flip side, Raheem Mostert, while older, has averaged five yards per carry across his NFL career. Mostert is also a threat to catch passes out of the backfield, as he has 111 receptions since the start of his breakout in the NFL back in 2018.
The Raiders hope to take down a heavy NFC favorite here in Week 2.