The Las Vegas Raiders‘ offensive line finally had their first good game of the season in Week 4 against the Chicago Bears, but things ended in a very concerning place. Left tackle Kolton Miller is the longest-tenured player on the team and is, without question, the best offensive lineman of the group.
On one of the last plays of the game, Miller fell to the field and was screaming in pain. He had to be carted off, and there was real concern that he may have suffered something season-ending.
However, the Raiders might be able to rest a little easier. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Miller is “believed” to have suffered a high ankle sprain. He’s still waiting for an MRI, but there doesn’t appear to be any serious ligament damage.
Rapoport did note that it’s an injury that will likely keep him out for multiple weeks. While that would be a huge blow, it’s certainly better than him being out for the entire season.
Miller has never missed more than four games in a season and has played through injuries in the past. It wouldn’t be a surprise if he wanted to tough out the ankle injury, but the Raiders can’t afford to risk him making the injury worse. It’s safe to assume that he won’t play in the team’s Week 5 game against the Indianapolis Colts.
Who Could Replace Miller at LT?
If Miller does have to miss time, the Raiders are going to have to figure out the best player to replace him. Right tackle DJ Glaze played left tackle in college, so moving him to the other side of the line could be the play. However, they may prefer to keep developing him on the right side.
Stone Forsythe was the player who came in for Miller after he was hurt. He has previous experience starting for Pete Carroll in Seattle, so he’s the likely favorite.
The Raiders also have some young players they might want to take a chance on. It’s probably too early to give Laki Tasi a chance, but he did show some flashes this offseason. Rookie Charles Grant could also be in the mix. For now, the most likely scenario is either Glaze moving to the left side or Forsythe taking over, but the Raiders will need to be creative if those options don’t work.
Jackson Powers-Johnson Talks OL’s Strong Day
The Raiders’ offensive line played very poorly in the first three weeks of the season, but finally found its stride in Week 4. Geno Smith wasn’t sacked once, and the offense averaged 7.7 yards per rush.
Second-year guard Jackson Powers-Johnson has been a major talking point due to the fact that he didn’t play last week. He played very well against the Bears and praised the offensive line’s performance.
“I think we had a great week of preparation,” Powers-Johnson said of the offensive line play, via Raiders.com. “I think the staff and everyone involved in the run game and the pass game just really dialed in. I think we did a lot better.”
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