There’s now a little less mystery as to why Raiders tight end Darren Waller has not been practicing during training camp.
Waller has been sidelined by a hamstring injury, but it’s not considered serious, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Paul Gutierrez of ESPN reported late Thursday that Waller indicated he should return to practice next week.
Waller has also reportedly been seeking a new contract, so there was a possibility the tight end was “holding in.” When asked if Waller’s absence was injury-related on Friday — just before the Schefter report came out — head coach Josh McDaniels smiled and said, “Yeah, he’s working to get back.”
Waller should be a key piece of Las Vegas’ revamped offense under McDaniels along with receivers Davante Adams and Hunter Renfrow. In 11 games last season, Waller caught 55 passes for 665 yards with a pair of touchdowns.
In 2019 and 2020, Waller eclipsed 1,100 yards receiving to solidify himself as one of the league’s top tight ends. He was a Pro Bowler in 2020 after catching 107 passes for 1,196 yards with nine TDs.