Free Agent D.J. Fluker to Sign with Las Vegas Raiders
By Andrew Peters | Dec 11, 2023 | Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
After a hiatus from the NFL since 2020, free agent offensive lineman D.J. Fluker is making a return, this time with the Las Vegas Raiders.
In great news for Fluker, he has been working hard to get back into the league and has now landed with the Raiders, his agent told Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz.
Not only is he back on an NFL roster, but he is apparently in the best shape of his life, per Schultz, down about 50 pounds and ready to make his return.
Fluker’s last game was in the 2020 season for the Baltimore Ravens, where he played 16 games and started eight. The 32-year-old has been out of the league for several years and has been working out with teams over the past few months. He participated in Alabama’s 2023 Pro Day back in March.
It’s worth noting that Fluker was a member of the Raiders’ practice squad in 2021 and was an elite lineman at Alabama before he was selected 11th overall in the 2013 NFL Draft by the San Diego Chargers.
In his comeback efforts, Fluker worked out with the Carolina Panthers along with the Raiders last week.
Part of his absence from the NFL was due to an injury and a suspension. Fluker received a six-game suspension ahead of the 2021 season, though he suffered a meniscus injury that required surgery and was cut by the Miami Dolphins and given an injury settlement.
It’s not clear whether Fluker will see the field in the final four games of the season or serve as a member of the practice squad to give him time to prepare after an extended period off the field. The Raiders are going through a coaching search after firing Josh McDaniels in November, so there is some instability within the organization at the moment.
Regardless of what his role will be, Fluker has successfully completed a comeback to the NFL and is now looking to become the player he was years ago.