Las Vegas Places Tackle Brandon Parker On IR For Second Straight Year

Shoring up the offensive line has been a big project for the Las Vegas Raiders as regardless of the abundance of skill players the team has, it can all crumble if the line doesn’t hold up. One of the main battles was at right tackle between Jermaine Eluemunor and Brandon Parker.

Eluemunor started all 17 games for the Raiders last season, but Parker, a third-round pick of the Raiders, had started 12 games as a rookie in 2018 and another 13 games in 2021. Last season he suffered a torn pectoral in the Hall of Fame Game, ending his season before it even began, and unfortunately, a second straight preseason injury could cost him again.

According to Paul Gutierrez of ESPN, the Raiders placed Parker on injured reserve once again with an undisclosed injury, potentially ending his year early for the second straight season:

The Las Vegas Raiders on Tuesday placed offensive lineman Brandon Parker, a third-round draft pick in 2018 who started 12 games at right tackle as a rookie and 13 games there in 2021, on injured reserve for the second straight year while in training camp, thus potentially ending his season before it starts. His injury this year was not disclosed.

It is really an unfortunate situation for Parker who has battled back to get another chance only to suffer the same fate as a season ago. The Raiders signed Parker to a one-year, $1.5 million contract this offseason in hopes that he would, at worst, provide some depth to the offensive line as a whole.

While Kolton Miller is entrenched at the left tackle spot, Parker had the opportunity to eclipse Eluemunor and take over on the other side should he outperform him during training camp. Now second-year player Thayer Munford Jr. represents the only tackle depth on the roster.

The fact that this could happen to Parker makes it even more disappointing as he had worked so hard to get back to the point he was now. He was extremely thankful for the Raiders giving him another opportunity and took pride in trying to be a leader on the team overall.

Because the injury remains undisclosed, it is unclear whether or not he will be able to make a return at some point this season. The Raiders could also choose to release Parker with an injury settlement and should he clear waivers, would then be eligible to re-sign with the team at a later date.