Las Vegas Raiders’ schedule just got insanely harder after recent NFL news should have the offensive line shaking in their boots
The Las Vegas Raiders now have an even more difficult schedule than anticipated, all because Aaron Donald is back with the Rams.
Among all of the roster cut madness, the Las Vegas Raiders were dealt a bit of news that no one wants to hear. Yes, we found out that rookie DE Keyron Crawford will miss the 2026 season. But that’s not what this article is about. Instead, they also found out their Week 7 game just got insanely harder, as Aaron Donald announced he’s retiring.
In Week 7, the Raiders play the Los Angeles Rams. That game stood out for a few reasons. One, it’s during a treacherous streak of very tough games for the Raiders. Two, they are set to play the team that’s the favorite to win the Super Bowl. Three, this is easily the best defensive line, and maybe the best defense, they will play.
Now, it just got even harder. They traded for Trent McDuffie, a top-three CB in the league. Then they traded for the best defensive lineman in the league, Myles Garrett. They now have two guys who are set to be first-ballot Hall of Famers on their defensive line. And the Raiders have to deal with that.
Raiders offensive line will be put to the test early
Last year, the Raiders had one of the worst, if not the worst, offensive lines. They couldn’t run block, and they couldn’t pass protect. Now, the Raiders have added the best center in the league in Tyler Linderbaum. Other than that and the left guard, it’s the same offensive line. And the left guard spot is Spencer Burford, who’s pretty much been a glorified backup in his career. That group will have to block Aaron Donald and Myles Garrett.
Not to mention, there is a chance that Fernando Mendoza will be the quarterback by then. No one is claiming he will, but there is certainly a chance. Even if Mendoza isn’t the starter, he and Kirk Cousins aren’t the most mobile guys in the world. The offensive line will certainly have its work cut out for it. Sure, Donald was retired, but we all know he is likely still the same player he was a few years ago. The guy retired early, and now he’s coming to wreak havoc.
