The Las Vegas Raiders will be without Darren Waller for at least the next four weeks. Waller is being placed on injured reserve, confirmed CBS Sports NFL Insider Josina Anderson, after he aggravated the hamstring injury that has kept him on the sideline for all but eight snaps since Week 5. According to multiple reports, the team believes Waller will benefit from having four consecutive weeks to allow his hamstring strain to heal before attempting to return to the field.
Waller last played a full share of snaps back in Week 4. He dealt with the hamstring ailment throughout the week leading up to the Raiders' Week 5 game against the Kansas City Chiefs, but ultimately suited up for that contest. He played just eight snaps, though, and did not catch a pass before exiting the game and not returning.
Following Las Vegas' Week 6 bye, Waller has largely been limited in practices and has continually been ruled out for games late in the week. Now, he will miss at least the Raiders' next four games against the Colts, Broncos, Seahawks, and Chargers.
Waller had previously expressed some level of frustration with the injury and his progress in returning from it.
"I mean, with a hamstring strain, you really can't run," Waller had said Wednesday, per The Athletic. "It's not much you can really do. You gotta make sure that you're 100% before you go out there. I'm implementing myself back in practice, but if I know I'm not gonna be effective when I go out there and run, and you run five plays and then it's right back to square one, it's just not smart. And I don't think it's really serving the team as far as longevity for the season because I want to be able to go out there and be available consistently. That's what I'm trying to focus on right now."
In his absence, Foster Moreau will continue to serve as the Raiders' top tight end. Across the three games since Vegas returned from its bye, Moreau has caught 11 passes for 101 scoreless yards on 19 targets.
