Raiders Terminate Contract of Former First-Round Pick

The Las Vegas Raiders released veteran wide receiver and former first-round pick Phillip Dorsett from their practice squad on Friday.

In a matching roster move, the team added tight end Carter Runyon to the practice squad after he cleared waivers.

The Raiders announced the changes in an official statement. “We have signed TE Carter Runyon to the practice squad. In a corresponding move, we have released WR Phillip Dorsett from the practice squad.”

Dorsett, 33, had rejoined the Raiders’ practice squad on Sept. 29 after spending most of the prior season in a similar role with the club.

He appeared in parts of eight NFL seasons but has not played in a regular-season game since 2023.

That year with the Denver Broncos, Dorsett saw action in two contests and was targeted three times without recording a catch.

The Florida native entered the league as a first-round pick, selected 29th overall by the Indianapolis Colts in the 2015 NFL Draft out of the University of Miami.

He spent his first two seasons with Indianapolis before a September 2017 trade sent him to the New England Patriots in exchange for quarterback Jacoby Brissett.

Dorsett contributed to the Patriots’ Super Bowl LIII victory over the Los Angeles Rams, appearing on 26 offensive snaps in the 13-3 win though he did not record a reception.

Across his career, he has totaled 151 receptions for 2,001 yards and 12 touchdowns in 94 games.

His most productive seasons came early: 33 catches for 528 yards in 2016 with the Colts and 29 receptions for 397 yards with five scores in 2019 with New England.

After leaving the Patriots, Dorsett had brief stints with the Seattle Seahawks, Jacksonville Jaguars, Houston Texans, and Atlanta Falcons, mostly as organizational depth.

He signed a reserve/future contract with Las Vegas in January 2026, was released at the end of training camp in late August, and returned to the practice squad weeks later.

Runyon, a 25-year-old undrafted free agent from Towson, appeared in 13 games for the Raiders in 2025 and recorded one catch for 3 yards.

He spent the early portion of the 2026 season on injured reserve before being activated and then waived Thursday, clearing the way for Friday’s practice-squad signing.

The move leaves Dorsett, a Super Bowl champion with career averages of 13.3 yards per reception, seeking another opportunity as teams manage late-season depth.