Veteran Ameer Abdullah Set to Make an Impact with the Raiders This Season
Ameer Abdullah has eclipsed the single-digit service mark as he enters year 10 in the National Football League. His career started back in 2015 with the Detroit Lions, then from 2018-2021 Abdullah represented a different NFC North team with the Minnesota Vikings and following that a brief stint with the Carolina Panthers.
In 2022, Abdullah was brought in to join the Las Vegas Raiders and in his third season wearing the Silver and Black he is ready to make a statement with this team.
A statement that he is willing to do whatever it takes and make plays whenever they send him out on the gridiron. Listed as an RB, Abdullah does much more than just taking handoffs. He is an option in the passing game as well. In nine years, he has 163 receptions for 1,207 yards including eight receiving touchdowns. He has caught 44 passes in his two years with the Raiders.
In addition to his carrying ability and route running, Abdullah is not afraid to stand up and pick up a blitzing defenseman to provide valuable seconds for Raider’s offensive plays to develop. At just 5-9, 203 lbs the 31-year-old knows what it takes to survive in the NFL and the sacrifices he has to make to earn reps on game days.
As a veteran and backup RB, Abdullah understands Zamir White will get a majority of the carries to begin the season and the fact that the Raiders brought in Alexander Mattison to the room this offseason as well, just means he needs to make impactful plays whenever his name is called. So far this off-season he has done just that, especially the play he made Saturday against the Dallas Cowboys.
After a booming punt, Abdullah raced down the field and tripped up Cowboys returner Jalen Moreno-Cropper which caused him to fumble the ball, allowing the Raiders punt team to recover.
Those are plays that an experienced player makes. Abdullah is trying to make plays as a returner on special teams as well this preseason. Throughout the two preseason games, he has two kickoff returns for 53 yards and a punt return for 11 yards.
In the post-game press conference following the loss to the Cowboys, Head Coach Antonio Pierce discussed Tre Tucker’s performance and how he evaluated him throughout the preseason.
“Finding his role right, you know we got the other players we got on our team, but finding his niche,” Pierce said.
Pierce’s statement was directed to Tucker, but those words are important for guys like Abdullah as well. Finding out what Abdullah can do on the field to benefit the offense and special teams or ultimately guiding and using the nine years of experience he has obtained to mentor and be a leader for younger players on this year’s Raiders squad.
