The Las Vegas Raiders were expected to be mostly healthy for Sunday’s season-opening game at the Los angles Chargers at SoFi Stadium (1:05 p.m. PT Kickoff), but that changed Thursday afternoon.
Friday, Las Vegas coach Antonio Peirce announced starting defensive end Malcolm Koonce will not play because of a knee injury he sustained in practice Thursday.
It is not known how long Koonce will be out. There has been some talk that the Raiders are being cautious, especially since the SoFi turf has played havoc with knees in the past.
Either Janarius Robinson or 2023 first-round pick Tyree Wilson will start opposite Las Vegas star pass-rusher Maxx Crosby against a strong Chargers’ defensive front.