



The Oakland Raiders are hoping to have second-year defensive end Mario Edwards Jr. back on the field for this Saturday's game against the Indianapolis Colts.

Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie said during a SiriusXM NFL Radio interview on Wednesday that Edwards has been practicing well and has experienced no setbacks. There was optimism about Edwards playing against the San Diego Chargers last week, but head coach Jack Del Rio pushed back his target return date by another week.

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Edwards, a second-round pick in last year's draft, injured his hip in the preseason opener. He was originally expected to miss 4-6 weeks, but his recovery ended up taking much longer than that.

The 6-foot-3, 280-pound defensive end has spent the entire season so far on injured reserve. He became eligible to return in Week 9, but the Raiders have been extra careful not to rush his return.

The Raiders may finally activate Edwards this week, providing Oakland's defensive front with another potentially dominant force. As a rookie, the Florida State product showed plenty of promise as both a run defender and and as a pass rusher.

With Khalil Mack and Bruce Irvin already looking like the best pair of edge defenders in the NFL, adding a player of Edwards' caliber to the defensive interior could take this unit to the next level.

Follow Kevin Boilard on Twitter: @247KevinBoilard