Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Jack Bech could be back on the field as soon as Sunday's game against the New York Jets in East Rutherford, New Jersey, after missing the minimum four games on injured reserve with a broken forearm. The team opened his practice window this week, clearing the way for his potential activation.
Bech was injured last month during a homecoming game in New Orleans, where a large gathering of friends and family had assembled to watch him play near the area where his brother was killed in an act of terror less than two years earlier. On the only pass thrown his way, Bech was hit late by Saints safety Justin Reid, drawing a penalty but ending Bech's day and his stint on the active roster.
"It definitely sucked," Bech said of the anticlimactic ending. He had surgery the next day and attacked the rehabilitation process, leaning on his faith. "I'm a firm believer in my faith and a firm believer in what God and my brother have planned for not only my life, but everybody around me," he said Thursday. "I knew it must have happened for a specific reason. At the time, I didn't understand why. But I understand now that I was able to maximize the time to work on a bunch of things I had to work on."
Coach Klint Kubiak praised the energy and physicality Bech brings, noting his strong hands and willingness as a run blocker. "He just has a whole other aura about him when he's on the field, and his teammates feel it. Coaches feel it," Kubiak said. Offensive coordinator Andrew Janocko added that Bech is "getting back into his groove" after showing promise before the injury. The Raiders have struggled to find production at receiver behind Tre Tucker during Bech's absence.
Sources: Las Vegas Review-Journal
Original reporting: Las Vegas Review-Journal →
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