There was always the belief that the Las Vegas Raiders wanted to see what Jack Bech and Dont’e Thornton could do in a real offensive system before giving up on them. That’s why they didn’t draft a WR until the sixth round in Malik Benson. So, they’re very confident in what they have.

“I like our WR room, I love Tre Tucker, we’re excited about Jalen Nailor, we drafted Jack Bech in the second, we have belief in Jack, we drafted Dont’e Thornton in the 4th last year, we believe in him, I’m excited with Malik Benson,” general manager John Spytek said on the Kay Adams show.

However, that’s for the top end of the room. They like their top four or five guys. They have to find the final two that fit the class perfectly. And, unfortunately, a potential fan favorite just wasn’t the guy.

On Tuesday, the Raiders waived former Los Angeles Chargers WR Brenden Rice. He’s also the son of legendary WR Jerry Rice, the greatest to ever do it. Jerry Rice played in the Bay Area for both the Raiders and the San Francisco 49ers.

#RAIDERS ROSTER MOVES:

– Signed LB Cameron McGrone

– Waived WR Brenden Rice#RaiderNation | @Raiders

— Raiders PR (@RAIDERS_PR) May 11, 2026

Brenden Rice should make Bay Area fans feel old

If you’re older than 28-ish, then you likely watched Jerry Rice play a bit. He was amazing, especially when he played for the 49ers. However, older, die-hard fans remember that he also played briefly for the Raiders. That should make us all feel old—we’re talking about his son, an NFL player.

Brenden Rice is 6’3, 220 pounds. He was drafted in the seventh round of the 2024 NFL Draft by the Chargers. He’s only played three offensive snaps in his career so far, and ten special teams snaps. If Vegas chooses to keep just six WRs when it’s time to cut their roster down from 90 to 53, then they may have their six with Dareke Young and Benson rounding it out. If they keep seven, Phillip Dorsett may already have that spot on lock.