Each team is allowed to have two players placed on injured reserve during the season to return. Last week the Raiders got rookie cornerback Isaiah Johnson back on schedule. And as of Monday, it was linebacker Marquel Lee whose return clock started as well.
That clock starts a three-week window of when the team must decide either to activate him or end his season entirely.
“NFL rules don’t allow him to play until the Kansas City game, so he’ll get a chance to be on the practice field and get re-acclimated to what he needs to do to get right,” Jon Gruden said of Lee Monday.
Lee had suffered an ankle injury in week three against the Vikings. They will face the Chiefs week 14 on December 1, which means, if Lee is activated at that time, he could play the final four games as well as any playoff games, should the Raiders reach the playoffs.
With the suspension of Vontaze Burfict in week 4, the Raiders could use Lee’s services. They also recently added free-agent linebacker, Will Compton.
