Oakland Raiders: Mario Edwards Jr. happy to be healthy

By Philip Robinson III | Aug 6, 2017

Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images /

Mario Edwards Jr. returns to the Oakland Raiders fresh off of the non-football injury list and appears healthy and ready to make an impact.

After losing much of his young career to injuries and being severely at risk of earning the label of injury-prone, it’s up to Oakland Raiders defensive end Mario Edwards Jr. to return to the player destroying double-teams and wreaking havoc in his rookie season. Finally being activated off of the Non-football injury list, Edwards was cleared to play and practice for what seems like an eternity ago.

After practice this past week, Edwards met with the media in a press conference seen on Raiders.com.

"It felt good, it felt good being back out there."

I would imagine that it did. While teams and fans routinely grow increasingly impatient and frustrated with athletes and their individual availabilities, imagine how the athlete must feel when their livelihood is at stake.

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Edwards has suffered through a hip condition robbing him of nearly the entire 2016 season, and a scary issue with his neck which nearly robbed him of his career and the final two games of his rookie season. So naturally taking care of his body and gearing towards longevity is the focus (per Raiders.com):

"Staying healthy is pretty big for me, but I’m back so I’m ready to play. . . I don’t get too high with the highs and too low with the lows, I keep it pretty even Steven."

That’s the smart way to play it, considering his coaches, teammates and fans alike, expect Edwards to finally be able to put his health concerns behind him. He looks in phenomenal shape and has gotten his weight back down to a much more streamlined 280-ish pounds.

Much like Eddie Vanderdoes, Edwards suffered an injury or two and hasn’t been able to get all the way back from those ailments. When questioned about how he felt in response to the talk around a campfire that Edwards will help give Oakland a better defense and more dynamic front, he had this to say (via Raiders.com):

"I agree with what coach is saying but we also have guys that can rotate in. I’m a defensive lineman I can play wherever…"

A chain is only as a strong as its weakest link. Last year, the interior of the defensive line was compromised when Edwards went down and both Justin Ellis and Dan Williams took a big step backward. Edwards got his first up close and personal view of third-round draft pick Eddie Vanderdoes on the football field.

Vanderdoes has been living up to expectations thus far and Edwards has taken notice:

"Vanderdoes he’s a helluva player, he’s really strong, has good hands, he’s going to make some noise."

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Edwards has competition nipping at his heels. He’s healthy by his own admission and ready to go. The Raiders need him to be available and productive throughout the entire regular season and postseason. While Edwards underplayed his own importance, if the Raiders are to go the distance he will be called on to man the trenches.

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