Raiders report: Star defensive end, tight end cleared to play Sunday

The Raiders will be close to full strength on the defensive line with Maxx Crosby and Adam Butler cleared to play Sunday despite back injuries.

“They’re ready to go,” coach Pete Carroll said after Friday’s outdoor practice.

The bye week did wonders for a team that has struggled with key injuries the first half of the season. Quarterback Aidan O’Connell (broken right wrist) and defensive back Lonnie Johnson (broken right fibula) remain on injured reserve and are the only players who won’t be available for Sunday’s game against the Jaguars at Allegiant Stadium.

“We’re really in great shape,” Carroll said. “Everybody else is ready to go. It really feels like we are back to where we started from, except for with (starting left tackle Kolton Miller, on injured reserve with a right high ankle sprain and hairline fracture in the ankle).”

Tight end Brock Bowers and wide receiver Jakobi Meyers practiced in full all week despite knee injuries and have no designation for Sunday’s game, clearing the way for them to return after missing a Week 7 loss in Kansas City.

Crosby left that game early, but has no designation for Sunday.

Butler also has no injury designation, but he isn’t taking anything for granted. He was a late scratch against the Chiefs when he suffered back spasms during warmups after the team had turned in their inactives, leaving them short-handed.

“I feel good, but we’ve got a couple more days before the game, so I have to make sure to be smart these next two days to maximize my chance of being available,” he said. “I’ve had back strains before, but not really to that degree. I could barely walk. I needed help getting back to the locker room. I went back and tried to get right, but tried to run out the tunnel and just couldn’t move.”

It was a difficult game for Butler to miss because he has a long history against the division rivals.

“It really was emotional, especially to miss that game,” he said. “Kansas City is a big rival, and it’s a big game. I’ve been playing the Chiefs since I was a rookie. That was the first team I ever played against. I go back so far I played against Alex Smith.”

Quick turnaround

Carroll said there is no firm plan to try to manage reps Sunday with a Thursday game in Denver on deck.

That could change based on how Sunday’s game plays out.

“Not until we have a chance to do that late in the game,” he said of any plan. “And we’ll see what happens with the game … that’s just the way you do it. We have a routine that we’ll go through next week.”

Some teams have adopted plans that include limiting carries by top running backs before a Thursday game, but the Raiders probably aren’t in position to think too far ahead.

At least one veteran player who has been through quick turnarounds expressed frustration at the scheduling quirk.

“I hate that, I’m not going to lie,” linebacker Jamal Adams said. “Especially the older you get. It’s tough on the body. You can play Sunday, and your body doesn’t even snap back until Friday and sometimes even Saturday right before a game. Obviously, we understand what we’re up against, and it’s just part of the NFL, so we have to do our best to recover (quicker).”

New guy

Carroll said he was unsure if wide receiver Tyler Lockett would play Sunday after signing with the Raiders during the bye week.

Carroll didn’t want to make any decisions before watching Friday’s practice film, Lockett’s third on-field session with the team.

“He did some good things every day,” Carroll said. “(Quarterback Geno Smith) used him a couple times today, and it went great. We got him enough reps, so he has a chance to play in this game, but we’ll make that decision as we get through the film.”

Lockett had 10 catches for 70 yards in seven games before he was released by the Titans last week.

The 33-year-old had 661 catches for 8,594 yards and 61 touchdowns in 10 seasons with the Seahawks, where he played with Smith for Carroll.

Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on X.