Oakland Raiders defensive tackle Mario Jr. Edwards (97) runs drills as the Oakland Raiders open camp in Napa, Calif., on Tuesday,August 9, 2016.
The Raiders’ pass rush is getting an early Christmas present.
Defensive end Mario Edwards Jr. was activated from injured reserve Friday, while linebacker Shilique Calhoun was placed on IR.
Edwards worked tirelessly to return from a neck injury suffered at the end of last season, and returned only to hurt his hip during Oakland’s first preseason game at Arizona.
Oakland’s pass rush was markedly better when Edwards was on the field last season, and though he’ll likely need several game reps to get back to form, the team improves in its depth at least.
He started 10 games last season, notching 41 tackles, a pair of sacks, along with three forced fumbles and three passes defensed.
It’s anyone’s guess as to how much he’ll play on Christmas Eve against the Colts, and defensive end Denico Autry has two sacks in Oakland’s last three games.
Calhoun suffered a knee injury in November, and hasn’t played since.
The Colts have allowed 40 sacks this season, the third highest mark in the league, giving Edwards a premium matchup on paper to help get back on track.
Jason Leskiw is SFBay’s Oakland Raiders beat writer and member of the Professional Football Writers of America. Follow @SFBay and @LeskiwSFBay on Twitter and at SFBay.ca for full coverage of Raiders football.
Last modified December 24, 2016 5:29 pm
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