The Las Vegas Raiders won't have a key member of their defense for the rest of the campaign, as defensive end Malcolm Koonce's knee injury is reportedly season-ending.
According to NFL insider Jordan Schultz, Koonce will not return in 2024 due to his knee injury that will require surgery. The exact injury remains unknown.
This is a devastating blow for Las Vegas, as Koonce was the team's second-best edge rusher behind Maxx Crosby. The former third-round pick tallied a career-best eight sacks and nine tackles for loss in 2023.
Koonce, who is a free agent next year, suffered the injury prior to the start of the regular season and was placed on injured reserve. There was initially hope he would get back at some point this season, but clearly that was not meant to be.
The Raiders will now turn to 2023 first-round pick Tyree Wilson to pick up the slack. Wilson is recovering from his own injury that forced him out of Week 1 early and led to his missing Week 2, but he looks to have a shot to suit up in Week 3 after logging a full practice on Friday. He is listed as questionable, though.
Wilson had a disappointing rookie campaign, so there are doubts about his ability to fill the void adequately. Safe to say, this will be a huge opportunity for Wilson, who desperately needs to step up in Koonce's absence.
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