Raiders Surprisingly Terminate Contract of Towering WR

The Las Vegas Raiders terminated the contract of undrafted rookie wide receiver Chase Roberts on Thursday, ending a brief tenure that never produced a regular-season snap.

The move was shown via Spotrac.com’s NFL transaction log.

Roberts, a towering target out of BYU, signed a three-year deal as an undrafted free agent on April 30 after going unselected in the 2026 NFL Draft.

The Highland, Utah, product arrived with a productive college résumé: 170 receptions for 2,586 yards and 18 touchdowns across four seasons with the Cougars, including back-to-back 800-yard campaigns in 2024 and 2025. His frame immediately stood out.

At 6-foot-4, he possesses terrific size for the position, giving him a natural catch radius and the ability to box out smaller defensive backs at the catch point.

That physical profile was the primary reason Las Vegas invested a modest guarantee in him. The Raiders’ receiver room remains thin behind newcomers and holdovers, and a big-bodied possession receiver who can work the boundary and red zone offered theoretical depth.

Roberts flashed in training camp, drawing notice for contested catches, but an undisclosed injury ended his summer. The team waived him injured on August 30. After he went unclaimed, he reverted to injured reserve.

On September 4, the Raiders completed the process, taking him off IR and cutting him. The move typically signals an injury settlement rather than a long-term roster commitment.

For a player still listed as a rookie with no regular-season experience, the writing was on the wall once he could not stay healthy through camp and the preseason.

Roberts’ 40-yard dash times in the 4.57-to-4.64 range confirmed he is more of a long-striding possession receiver than a vertical threat. Scouts praised his ball-tracking and body control while noting inconsistent hands and limited explosiveness after the catch.

Those traits, combined with the injury, made him expendable as the Raiders finalized their 53-man roster and practice squad around veterans such as Jalen Nailor and younger options already on the depth chart.

The 25-year-old now becomes a free agent. Teams looking for a developmental X-receiver with legitimate size could take a look once he is healthy.

For Las Vegas, the termination is another small roster transaction in a rebuild year that already features first-overall pick Fernando Mendoza and a revamped coaching staff under Klint Kubiak. Roberts’ size remains an asset; converting it into NFL production will have to happen elsewhere.