Raiders Rumors: Chandler Jones, Darren Waller 'Expected Back' for 2023 Season

The Las Vegas Raiders reportedly aren't expected to move on from pass-rusher Chandler Jones or tight end Darren Waller this offseason.

According to Jeff Howe of The Athletic, Jones and Waller have two of the biggest salary cap hits on the team, but the Raiders don't intend to cut or trade either of them.

Howe noted that while multiple teams have shown interest in acquiring Waller, the Raiders want to keep him and give their next quarterback another big-time weapon to complement No. 1 wide receiver Davante Adams.

Jones was one of the prized pass-rushers available on the free-agent market last offseason, and the Raiders paid up to sign him to a three-year $51 million contract.

Early returns weren't great, as the 33-year-old veteran was limited to just 4.5 sacks, which was the lowest total of his career aside from the 2020 season, when he played in just five games due to injury.

Jones is a four-time Pro Bowler and two-time first-team All-Pro who has twice finished in the top three of the NFL Defensive Player of the Year voting. He also has 112 career sacks to his credit, which is 37th on the unofficial all-time list and 26th on the official all-time list.

One area in which Jones did thrive last season was having a nose for the football, as he recovered three fumbles, including one that he took back for a touchdown on the final play of the game in Week 15 to shock the New England Patriots.

While the Jones signing hasn't worked out ideally yet, he still has a chance to be a big-time contributor in 2023 with Maxx Crosby commanding much of the offensive attention on the other side of the line.

Waller has established himself as one of the top tight ends in the NFL when healthy, which is why he was rewarded with a three-year, $51 million contract extension through 2026 last year.

Unfortunately for the 30-year-old veteran, he was unable to build on the career years he enjoyed in 2019 and 2020 over the past two seasons.

Injuries cost Waller six games in 2021, resulting in him finishing with 55 receptions for 665 yards and two touchdowns. He was even more injury-riddled in 2022, missing eight games and finishing with 28 grabs for 388 yards and three touchdowns.

Waller has shown before that he can be a dominant force at the tight end position, however, racking up 90 catches for 1,145 yards and three touchdowns in 2019. He was then named a Pro Bowler for the first and only time in 2020 when he hauled in 107 passes for 1,196 yards and nine touchdowns, all of which were career highs.

The Raiders' quarterback situation is in a state of flux following the release of Derek Carr. Las Vegas could sign or trade for a veteran such as Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers, it could draft a rookie signal-caller or it could bring back Jarrett Stidham—who started the final two games of the 2022 season—or another stopgap solution.

Waller is a huge mismatch at tight end when healthy and on his game, and whomever the Raiders' quarterback is in 2023 would benefit significantly from having him in the fold.