Safety Nate Allen’s rehab has been on schedule since the start. His MCL injury healed well, allowing him to follow the rule and regulations of the NFL’s short-term injured reserve designation.
He was able to practice without issue following six down weeks, and is ready to play Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings. That’s the first point of eligibility on short-term IR, and Allen is raring to go.
[RELATED: Allen's knee 'stable, feels 100 percent' after MCL injury]
The Raiders have been saying he’d play all week. On Saturday, they made it official. Allen was added to the 53-man roster on Saturday afternoon. Return man Marcus Thigpen was released in a corresponding move.
That means TJ Carrie will likely go back to returning punts, with Taiwan Jones returning kickoffs.
Allen will start right away, allowing cornerback TJ Carrie to return to his natural position after spelling Allen at safety since Week 3. If formations during the media portion of practice are to be believed, Carrie and David Amerson will start on the outside and DJ Hayden will enter on passing downs.
