Raiders Facing Uncertainty in Kicking Game Ahead of MNF

Las Vegas Raiders kicker Daniel Carlson was ruled questionable in the team's injury report on Saturday.

The Las Vegas Raiders could be without All-Pro kicker Daniel Carlson for Monday night's game against the Detroit Lions.

Carlson played through a groin injury last week against the Chicago Bears, but missed practice Thursday and Friday and was limited on Saturday. He was listed as questionable for Monday night's game on the Raiders' final injury report of Week 8, which was released on Saturday.

Raiders Coach Josh McDaniels was confident in the veteran kicker's self-judgment when he addressed the media ahead of Las Vegas' Saturday practice.

The Las Vegas Raiders Daniel Carlson is the best kicker in the National Football League / © Jamie Sabau | 2023 Oct 22

"I think with him [Carlson], I would trust him to know his body and situation better than everybody else," McDaniels said. "He'll do what he needs to do today to kind of make an assessment, and then we'll figure out if that's something we're going to give two more days and give it a shot or not. It's a little tricky with a kicker based on if you don't necessarily want to dress a backup if you will. 

"So, making a call on that is probably what we're going to do one way or the other, but today it'll be important."

The Raiders signed kicker James McCourt on Wednesday, just in case Carlson cannot go on Monday night.

"Yeah, he's [McCourt] had a good week and fits in with our guys," McDaniels said. "He's done a really good job in practice, has a strong leg. He's worked with our snapper and our holder and gotten in plenty of repetitions. So, we really like what he's done, and he'll be ready to go if we need him." 

McCourt signed with the Los Angeles Chargers as an undrafted free agent out of the University of Illinois in 2022.

The soon-to-be 26-year-old kicker had a stint with the Jacksonville Jaguars, but was ultimately waived as part of August roster cuts.

McCourt has yet to see action in a regular-season game.

If Carlson is to miss Monday night, it would be the first regular season game he has missed since his rookie season in 2018.

The Silver and Black will stay on the road to take on the Detroit Lions on Monday night, Oct. 30, at 8:15 p.m. EDT/5:15 p.m. PDT.

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