Raiders place Chigozie Anusiem on IR for 2026

Chigozie Anusiem, a depth cornerback for the Las Vegas Raiders, suffered a knee injury in Thursday’s preseason game against the Texans and was carted off the field, ultimately landing on the team’s injured reserve and sidelining him for the 2026 season. At 25, the undrafted free agent out of Colorado State has been a depth/special-teams contributor who joined the Raiders after stints with the Browns and Cardinals and a brief 2025 appearance where he played in three games with one tackle. The injury compounds the Raiders’ secondary concerns as they evaluate roster spots and look to bolster a unit that already faced depth challenges. The team announced the IR designation after the injury occurred late in the preseason, signaling a full-season absence rather than a late-season return. Anusiem’s career has largely been built around special teams, with limited defensive action, making this a setback in a challenging competition for a 2026 roster spot. As the Raiders proceed through cutdowns and roster decisions, the focus will be on how the depth chart adapts to another key loss on defense.