Friday marks exactly one year since Malcolm Koonce tore the ACL and meniscus in his knee during a Raiders practice.<\/p>\n
It also marks exactly 365 days since he started dreaming about what will happen on Sunday.<\/p>\n
The defensive end is set to resume a promising career when he suits up for the Raiders\u2019 season opener against the Patriots.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m super excited,\u201d Koonce said. \u201cIt\u2019s all I\u2019ve been thinking about since I got injured.\u201d<\/p>\n
Koonce, 27, was hurt when he tried to run a stunt to the inside in practice. The 2021 third-round pick out of Buffalo fell to the ground with a non-contact injury that ended his season.<\/p>\n
The news was devastating, but he soon turned his attention to 2025. The only question was where he would be playing.<\/p>\n
One of the most difficult parts of Koonce\u2019s injury was the timing. He was a pending free agent and had eight sacks his final nine games in 2023. He seemed on the verge of a breakout season that would earn him a massive contract.<\/p>\n
Koonce ultimately stayed with the Raiders on a one-year, $11 million deal. That let him continue to rehab with a group he already had a great relationship with.<\/p>\n
\u201cI had full trust in the training staff throughout the process,\u201d Koonce said. \u201cThey would tell me at each stage what I was able to do and then I would go out and do it. If they told me I was able to run through a wall, that\u2019s what I would have done. It was just about trusting them.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Raiders still believe in Koonce, too. Defensive coordinator Patrick Graham had big plans for Koonce in 2024 and sees no reason to adjust this year.<\/p>\n
\u201cMan, Malcolm\u2019s been steady,\u201d Graham said. \u201cSteadily improving, getting more and more comfortable. And the explosion is there, the power is there, the confidence is growing. I was happy to see that sack in the preseason. That was encouraging there. So pretty happy with where he\u2019s at and really happy about him being able to play the first week of the season.\u201d<\/p>\n
Koonce is fired up to take the field. But he knows he has to pace himself.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou don\u2019t want to sizzle out,\u201d he said. \u201cYou have to keep on a low boil, a nice little simmer until maybe late Friday or Saturday.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen you turn it up.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jordan Meredith took a long and winding path to becoming the Raiders\u2019 starting center.<\/p>\n
He went undrafted out of Western Kentucky in 2021 and spent most of his first three NFL seasons on the practice squad. He got his first extended opportunity to start last year at guard, but the Raiders\u2019 new coaching staff believed he could work at center.<\/p>\n
Now, at age 27, Meredith is starting the year atop the depth chart. But he\u2019s not ready to celebrate.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt some point, I\u2019ll probably take that time, but I don\u2019t feel like right now is the moment,\u201d Meredith said. \u201cRight now, the moment is to focus on today and this week. Then maybe after the season or some point in the future, whether it\u2019s sitting around with my fellow offensive linemen or sitting around with family, those conversations will probably happen.\u201d<\/p>\n
Meredith plans to just keep doing what\u2019s gotten him to this point.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s cool, but at the end of the day, we\u2019re still here every day and we\u2019ll go out and practice today,\u201d he said. \u201cThe biggest thing is to focus on what\u2019s in front of us and that\u2019s still getting better every day and then hopefully we can apply that and use it in the game.\u201d<\/p>\n
Graham acknowledged there are some differences between coaching from the sideline and up in the press box.<\/p>\n
He has done both and believes you can get a better feel for the game on the field, but the picture of what\u2019s actually happening is clearer up in the booth.<\/p>\n
Plus, there is more time for snacking.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have a Coke in my hand,\u201d Graham said, joking. \u201cCould have a Snickers in my hand. I mean, none of that is happening, and if I do, they\u2019ll catch me on camera.\u201d<\/p>\n
Graham also has to be mindful of his language in the booth.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy parents are watching,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd they can lipread.\u201d<\/p>\n