Darren Waller Injury News Takes Concerning Turn

Las Vegas Raiders fans were filled with joy when Darren Waller practiced on Wednesday for the first time in August. The 'Silver and Black' faithful were pumped at the thought of their No. 1 tight end nearing full health, things have taken another concerning turn.

Much to the Raiders' dismay, The Athletic's Tashan Reed reports that Waller was absent from Thursday's practice. Las Vegas' coaching staff hasn't given any updates regarding the 29-year-old's absence, so it remains to be seen if the situation is more or less concerning than it appears.

Darren Waller Injury Update

Last week, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that Waller was going to be training camp time because of a hamstring injury. The issue was "not considered serious" at the time, however, another missed day of practice has Raiders fans rightfully concerned.

Hamstring injuries are usually tough to shake due to their lingering nature. The last thing the Raiders want is for this to become a reoccurring issue, especially as they're chasing the AFC West crown. Hopefully, some rest is all it takes to get the former Georgia Tech product back on track.

Battling a knee injury, Waller finished the 2021 NFL season with 665 receiving yards and two touchdowns on 55 catches over 11 games. It was a far cry from his previous production, so only time will tell if he can get back to his 1,000-yard self once the latest injury clears up.

Along with wideouts Hunter Renfrow and Davante Adams, Waller forms one of the best pass-catching trios in the league. Though Foster Moreau is a solid backup, he doesn't exactly have the experience or proven production to fill the Landover, MD native's void.

If Waller is forced to miss significant time to start the 2022 NFL season, expect the Raiders' offensive numbers to suffer.

Raiders AFC West Odds

Waller missing regular-season playing time would likely hurt the Raiders' AFC West odds on FanDuel Sportsbook. Things are already unfavorable for Las Vegas as the team sits dead last at +700 odds to win the division.

Devon Platana is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Devon Platana also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username PepeSilvia0. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.