Raiders Place CB Chigozie Anusiem on Season-Ending IR
Las Vegas Raiders cornerback Chigozie Anusiem was placed on season-ending injured reserve on Aug. 22, per ProFootballTalk. The reserve/injured list designation ends Anusiem's 2026 season before the regular season opens. Yahoo Sports first reported the move.
The timing makes this more than a routine transaction. It's late August. The preseason is nearly over, and the Raiders are finalizing the 53-man roster. Every open spot carries weight. Anusiem's departure thins the cornerback group. Injured reserve in August carries a finality. With the season a few weeks away, the designation means no return in 2026.
It's an old story in the NFL: a late-summer injury wipes a player's season before the real games begin. The Raiders now have an open spot on their 90-man roster. That number shrinks to 53 in days. The front office can promote from within or sign a free agent. The waiver wire will also offer candidates after other teams make cuts. The smart play is to move fast. Waiting for the waiver wire risks losing the best available options to teams with higher priority.
A veteran cornerback available now can learn the defensive scheme during the final preseason week. A player added after cuts might not be ready for the opener. The Raiders face a long season, and the secondary needs depth. Anusiem's absence doesn't doom the defense, but it does make the group less forgiving to another injury.
The Raiders did the right thing with Anusiem. The next decision defines the secondary's ceiling. Sign a cornerback in the next 48 hours. That's the verdict.