Oakland Raiders defensive end Dion Jordan wasted no time making his presence felt during his debut in the win over the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 11.
Raiders head coach Jon Gruden had initially considered Jordan a long shot to play against the Bengals after signing him earlier in the week. Of course, that quickly changed once the game started as they opted to utilize him in passing situations and managed to make the most of his opportunities by registering a tackle and a crucial sack.
Tight end Darren Waller knows full well what it is like to try and bounce back from a rough start to a career. He is now hoping that it is the start of a potential resurgence for his new teammate.
Waller and Jordan have both had multiple drug-related suspensions throughout the course of their respective careers. Waller is happy to see Jordan getting back on track after enduring his fair share of struggles, and he wants to help create a positive environment for him, via Scott Bair of NBC Sports:
“With a guy like Dion Jordan, there are no judgements. We just want him to come in and do what he does,” said tight end Darren Waller. “…We’ve had a relationship before he came here. It was good to see him and how he’s carrying himself and how he’s working. To see him get that sack today, I was really excited for him.”
Waller’s comments are certainly understandable given his own struggles with addiction during his career. He is an example of someone that was able to overcome all the hardships and has now been rewarded with a three-year contract extension. It is clear that he is hoping Jordan can potentially do the same now that he has gotten another opportunity to prove himself.
The 29-year-old struggled to live up to the billing of being the former third overall pick in the 2013 NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins. He joined the Seattle Seahawks following his failed stint in Miami but that ended after he was handed down a 10-game suspension to start the 2019 campaign for violating the NFL’s substance-abuse policy.
Fortunately, Jordan now has a clean slate to work with in Oakland and they have already made efforts to ensure that he can succeed both on and off the field. The onus will ultimately fall on him to prove that he can be a long-term option to help shore up some depth on the edge.
The Raiders are currently entering perhaps their most pivotal stretch of the season with a two-game road trip against the New York Jets and Kansas City Chiefs, so they will need Jordan performing at a high level to continue their winning streak.
