Raiders place cornerback Chigozie Anusiem on season-ending injured reserve
The Las Vegas Raiders have placed cornerback Chigozie Anusiem on season-ending injured reserve, the team announced Saturday. The move comes after Anusiem sustained a lower-body injury during the third quarter of Thursday's preseason game against the Houston Texans, when he was dragged down from behind while on the punt team.
Anusiem, who joined the Raiders last season and appeared in four career games primarily on special teams, suffered the injury in what was otherwise a victorious night for Las Vegas. The Raiders mounted a come-from-behind victory over the Texans, erasing a double-digit deficit, but the win was tempered by the loss of Anusiem and the broader questions his departure raises for the team's secondary.
A reserve role, cut short
Anusiem played 54 special teams snaps in three games for the Raiders last season after being signed to the active roster in Week 15. He had stints with the Cleveland Browns and Arizona Cardinals before joining Las Vegas. By all accounts, he was expected to compete for a reserve role in the defensive backfield this year, with a potential practice-squad assignment considered a likely outcome.
However, the injury interrupts that trajectory. The Raiders' decision to place Anusiem on injured reserve, as announced Saturday, effectively ends his 2026 season before it began, a blow to a player who had carved out a niche on special teams.
Depth concerns in the secondary
The timing of the injury is particularly significant given the state of the Raiders' cornerback group. Anusiem played zero defensive snaps last season and saw action on just 13% of the team's special teams plays. He was listed on the Raiders' most recent depth chart behind rookie cornerback Hezekiah Masses, underscoring the limited margin for error the team faces at the position.
The secondary has been widely viewed as the team's biggest question mark heading into the 2026 season, and the loss of even a depth piece like Anusiem adds to the uncertainty. Defensive coordinator Patrick Kubiak, speaking after Thursday's win, said the secondary took a step forward as a defense overall and emphasised that the players need another game to continue improving. That development process will now continue without Anusiem, though the team can ill afford further attrition at the position.
Roster decisions loom
The Raiders' travel to Houston was otherwise productive, but it left the team with decisions to make as cutdown day approaches. With Anusiem now on injured reserve, Las Vegas will need to address the cornerback position, whether through a corresponding roster move or by leaning on the young players already in the building. The team's ability to manage this stretch without sustaining further losses at a position of need will be worth watching in the weeks ahead.