The Las Vegas Raiders announced Tuesday they are releasing defensive tackle Jonah Laulu and activating wide receiver Dont'e Thornton Jr. from injured reserve to the 53-man roster. Laulu, a Las Vegas native and Centennial High School graduate, was a healthy scratch for Sunday's 35-21 loss to the Los Angeles Rams at Allegiant Stadium.
A seventh-round draft pick in 2024 out of Hawaii and Oklahoma, Laulu started 15 games last season and recorded four sacks and 51 tackles. His playing time dropped significantly this year, from 68% of defensive snaps in 2024 to 23.3% this season under first-year coach Klint Kubiak. The defensive tackle room now includes Tonka Hemingway, Adam Butler, Folorunsu Fatukasi, Thomas Booker and JJ Pegues.
Thornton, a second-year player and fourth-round pick, missed the entire season to this point with a hamstring injury suffered early in training camp. He returned to practice this month and had 10 receptions for 135 yards as a rookie last year. He joins a receiving group that includes Tre Tucker, Jalen Nailor, Malik Benson, Cody White and Dareke Young.
The team also released wide receiver Jamari Thrash from the practice squad. The moves come after the Raiders dropped their fourth consecutive game, all losses in which they surrendered at least 30 points.
Sources: Las Vegas Review-Journal
Original reporting: Las Vegas Review-Journal →
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