The Raiders could soon get help for their depleted receiving corps from a player who has spent the first month of the season waiting for his chance.
Dont’e Thornton Jr., who opened the season on injured reserve, had his practice window opened Wednesday, providing a potential reinforcement at a position where the Raiders are running short on healthy options.
With Jack Bech on injured reserve and Jalen Nailor not cleared for practice yet after suffering a concussion in Week 4, Thornton has an opportunity to work his way into the offense once he is cleared and activated.
The Raiders have 21 days to evaluate Thornton in practice and decide whether to add him to their active roster. They can activate him before that window expires, but returning to practice does not automatically make him available for Sunday’s game against the Patriots.
For now, it represents an important step toward giving coach Klint Kubiak another option in the passing game.
For Thornton, the timing creates an opening.
The Raiders need more production from their wide receivers to complement tight ends Brock Bowers and Michael Mayer and running back Ashton Jeanty. Adding another threat on the outside could create more room for those players while giving quarterback Kirk Cousins another target.
Thornton’s college resume offers a glimpse of the big-play potential he could bring.
During his final season at Tennessee, he caught 26 passes for 661 yards and six touchdowns, averaging 25.4 yards per reception. That ability to turn limited opportunities into substantial gains helped make him an intriguing developmental prospect.
The immediate challenge is translating that potential into dependable work in Kubiak’s offense after an extended absence.
Thornton must show he can handle the physical demands of practice, execute his assignments and establish the timing with Cousins necessary to earn meaningful snaps. A thin depth chart creates opportunity, but he still has to prove he is ready to take advantage of it.
The Raiders have three weeks to make that determination.
Given the injuries around him, Thornton could return to a receiving corps with a more immediate need for his contributions than when the season began.
