Unfortunately for the Las Vegas Raiders this season which was on the brink of spiraling out of control, now looks like it is doing exactly that. The team placed tight end Darren Waller on injured reserve earlier today, and now wide receiver Hunter Renfrow is set to join him.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Raiders will place Renfrow on injured reserve, meaning both he and Waller will be out for the next four games at least:
And one more: Raiders also are placing WR Hunter Renfrow on injured reserve due to his oblique injury, per source. So on the same day, both Renfrow and Darren Waller both are being placed on IR, meaning they’re out at least four games each.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 10, 2022
This is an extremely tough situation for the Raiders to be in now, as Renfrow has proven to be one of the most reliable receivers in the NFL for his ability to get open and make tough catches. The Raiders bringing in Davante Adams to go along with Renfrow and Waller was expected to make life easier on all three as defenses would be unable to stop all three.
But thanks to injuries, the trio have been on the field together for just 43 plays, never getting the opportunity to build that chemistry in order to become one of the elite pass-catching groups in the league. Now, even more, pressure will fall on Adams and running back Josh Jacobs to power this offense.
Adams already ranks third in the NFL in targets, trailing Tyreek Hill and Cooper Kupp, but he might rise even higher on the list with both Waller and Renfrow out. This will also lead to more opportunities for the likes of Mack Hollins and Foster Moreau, as they would be next in line.
At 2-6 and with their playoff hopes dwindling, the Raiders now find themselves without two of their top offensive weapons for the foreseeable future, and head coach Josh McDaniels will have a long road ahead of him in trying to get this team to turn things around.
Renfrow will be available to return in Week 14 when the Raiders face the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday Night Football.
