Raiders put Jack Bech on IR and sign Cody White to active roster

The Raiders placed Jack Bech on injured reserve Tuesday and signed Cody White to the active roster, making a receiver change after Sunday's win in New Orleans. Bech suffered a fractured forearm against the Saints, NBC Sports' Myles Simmons reported.

White had been on the practice squad since August and was elevated for each of Las Vegas' first three games. Those appearances produced an unusual line: three receptions, 28 yards and three touchdowns. The Raiders said he is the second wide receiver in the past 30 years whose first three catches of a season all went for touchdowns, after Torrey Smith in 2011.

Signing White to the 53-man roster resolves the immediate elevation question. He was out of temporary promotions, Simmons reported, so another game appearance required a different roster arrangement. The move gives Las Vegas a receiver already familiar with its offense as Bech becomes unavailable.

White, 27, has appeared in 33 career games since entering the league as an undrafted free agent in 2020, according to Simmons. His promotion adds an experienced receiver to the active roster.

White's contribution has extended to special teams. Simmons reported that he played 56 percent of the Raiders' special-teams snaps and 16 percent of their offensive snaps through three games. That usage provides a more useful description of his role than the touchdown total alone: he has made scoring plays in limited offensive work while handling a larger share elsewhere.

The team also waived Justin Shorter and signed Phillip Dorsett to the practice squad. Tuesday's announcement did not give Bech a return date or name a replacement starting receiver. White's active-roster contract likewise does not guarantee a larger target share.

Las Vegas takes a 3-0 record into its next game against Kansas City. The roster change follows a comeback win in which White caught a fourth-quarter touchdown, but his next workload remains for the Raiders to establish.