Raiders' Rookie LB Comes Off First NFL Start

Las Vegas Raiders rookie linebacker Tommy Eichenberg started his first NFL game last Sunday against the Denver Broncos. He is another aspiring piece to a defense that needs to improve.

Sep 15, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Las Vegas Raiders linebacker Tommy Eichenberg (45) looks on before the game against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images / Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images

The Las Vegas Raider (2-3) have another young defensive prodigy who made his first NFL start in a loss last Sunday to the AFC West rival, Denver Broncos (3-2).

Rookie linebacker Tommy Eichenberg was inserted into the starting lineup after third-year backer Luke Masterson was placed on injured reserve with a knee injury earlier in the week.

The 23-year-old was able to garner just one tackle but was heavily involved throughout the game, taking 45 snaps and starting alongside the league's leading tackler and fellow linebacker, Robert Spillane. It is tough to have a strong first start alongside a guy who averages 18 tackles per game.

“I thought Tommy did a good job," said Raiders coach Antonio Pierce on Monday. "There's obviously some plays there that he wants to take back and we can learn from, but first career start, I love the effort, I love the energy. He was physical in the running game, again, gotta clean up some other stuff,  but it's something that we can grow on. Obviously some positives there when you lose, you always look at the negatives but there were positives with Tommy.”

There are obvious corrections that Eichenberg will need to make as he has only played in four NFL games, missing week 1 with a knee injury. The more snaps he takes will only progress his physical and mental experience, eliminating several mistakes.

Eichenberg was selected by the Raiders in the fifth round of this past year's NFL draft. He was a four-year player at Ohio State University, winning Big Ten linebacker of the year in 2023, and was a Butkus Award semifinalist in '22 and '23.

This is also a guy who played a game with two broken hands and still led the team in tackles back in 2022 as a member of the Buckeyes. If that doesn't exemplify the Raider mentality and the type of player that Pierce is looking to bring into the locker room, it is hard to make sense of what would.

The Raiders have been put in a position where a few of their rookies have had to come in and make an impact in their first few months as professional players. Tight end Brock Bowers and offensive linemen, Jackson Powers-Johnson and DJ Glaze, are other prime examples of first-year players that have had to make starts and create early success.

Heading back home for their third home game this season at Allegiant Stadium, the Raiders are searching for a better all-around performance.

With Masterson still on injured reserve, Eichenberg will likely have another starting opportunity to improve and impress against the Pittsburgh Steelers (3-2) this Sunday.

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