On Tuesday, the Raiders returned to practice fresh off their pre-season-opening win over the Seahawks. And along with them was the return of Pro Bowl tight end Darren Waller, seeing his first practice in two weeks.
Darren Waller is back at practice for the Raiders. He’d been out since the week before last.
— Tashan Reed (@tashanreed) August 17, 2021
Waller’s last practice was on August 2, exactly two weeks ago. Since that time, he was often working on the side with trainers, suggesting some kind of injury. Though he never showed any specific signs of injury, so the exact nature of his absence was unknown.
Waller was on the sideline in a hoodie for the team’s practice at the stadium on August 8, where Raiders’ radio analyst, Eric Allen, gave him the mic and he spoke to the crowd on hand about his excitement for the season, suggesting his optimism that his situation was not serious and he would be back soon.
Regardless, it was a cause of worry for some because Waller is the team’s best player and the offense goes through him.