Raiders Lose Young Defender for Season Due to Injury

he Las Vegas Raiders defense looks like it could be improved this season but linebacker is still a big question mark and the depth at the position just took a major blow. The team announced on August 22 that they are sending Darien Butler to the Reserve/Injured list.

Butler was a surprise for the Raiders last year. He was brought in as an undrafted free agent and was able to work his way into earning a roster spot. He ended up playing in 15 games for the team last season and played 67% of their special teams snaps, per Pro Football Reference. However, he only played 2% of defensive snaps.

Butler ended the year with 11 combined tackles. He could be a key special teams contributor for the Raiders in the future but that’s on hold until next season. This is a big blow for the 23-year-old Butler, who is still trying to prove that he belongs on an NFL roster. The Raiders clearly like him and could give him another shot next season.

With Darien Butler done for the year, Curtis Bolton’s chances of making the active roster have gone up. Making the Raiders would be a dream come true for the veteran linebacker and special teams ace. His father is from Vallejo, California, which is less than an hour from where the Raiders used to play in Oakland, California. He was a big Raiders fan so now Bolton gets to play for the team he grew up watching.

“Yeah, I mean it’s felt like home all my life,” Bolton said during his August 22 media availability. ” … My pops was from Vallejo. So, come Week 6 if I’m still here, it’ll be my longest-tenured team, and regardless, they have a different kind of culture here. It feels like family regardless, so I’m just grateful for the opportunity to come play for here, and to get here and to find out how they operate is a dream come true. I have nothing but gratitude.”