The Las Vegas Raiders have opened the practice window for wide receiver Dont’e Thornton Jr., formally designating the second-year receiver to return from injured reserve on Wednesday, the team announced.
Head coach Klint Kubiak confirmed the move in his weekly availability, giving the club 21 days to either activate Thornton to the 53-man roster or send him back to injured reserve.
Thornton has been out since late August, when the Raiders placed him on the Reserve/Injured list as they finalized the roster. The issue, long listed only as undisclosed, is a hamstring that surfaced early in training camp.
It kept him out of most of August’s work and cost him the preseason, then carried into the regular season. He has not appeared in any of Las Vegas’ first four games.
The timing of the designation lines up with comments Thornton made as he prepared to resume practicing. He said the hamstring “feels great,” that he feels ready to play, and that he is “overly confident” about getting back on the field.
Kubiak had suggested late last week that the hope was for Thornton to return to practice ahead of the Week 5 trip to New England. Opening the window is the procedural step that makes that possible.
It is not the same as an activation. Thornton still has to show he can handle a full practice load before the staff decides whether he is ready for a game.
The opening arrives while the receiving room is already thin. Jack Bech is working through a forearm injury, and Jalen Nailor remains in the concussion protocol.
Tre Tucker and Cody White have been among the receivers carrying the load, with tight ends Brock Bowers and Michael Mayer continuing to absorb a large share of the passing game.
A healthy Thornton would give Kubiak another vertical option. At 6-foot-5 and about 205 pounds, the former Tennessee receiver was drafted in the fourth round in 2025, No. 108 overall, largely because of his size and downfield speed.
As a rookie, he caught 10 passes for 135 yards in 15 games, a modest total that never fully tested what the Raiders thought they were getting.
Whether that role expands now is an open question. Missing camp and the first month of the season means Thornton is behind in the install under a new coaching staff, and a hamstring that already cost him an extended stretch can linger even after a player says he feels fine.
The 21-day clock started Wednesday. Las Vegas can bring him back as soon as he is cleared, or it can use the full window to see how the leg responds before committing a roster spot.
For a receiver who has been waiting since August, the next few practices will decide if the wait is finally over.
