Oakland LB Maiava Suffers Season-ending Injury

Maui’s Kaluka Maiava was put on season-ending injured reserve today by the Oakland Raiders due to an ailing hamstring. Photo by Tony Gonzales / Raiders.com.

By Rodney S. Yap

For the second straight year, Maui’s Kaluka Maiava will not finish the season on the Oakland Raiders’ active roster.

That’s because the Oakland Raiders placed the former Baldwin High School and Southern California standout on season-ending injured reserve today.

The 27-year-old linebacker suffered a hamstring injury in the Raiders’ last game, a loss to the Miami Dolphins in London on Sept. 28. Maiava was making his second straight start in Week 4 and reportedly injured himself in the first quarter and did not return to the game. The Raiders enjoyed a bye Sunday, while the team scrambled to fill his roster spot.

According to the team’s official website www.raiders.com, Oakland General Manager Reggie McKenzie claimed linebacker Ray-Ray Armstrong via waivers from the St. Louis Rams late Tuesday.

Oakland linebacker Kaluka Maiava at a Raiders’ practice earlier this year. Photo by Tony Gonzales / Raiders.com.

Maiava initially suffered his hamstring injury on the first day of camp and didn’t return to the practice field until the final day of training camp in Napa. He appears to have re-aggravated the injury after he was forced into service as a starter in Week 3 at New England where he finished with a season-high eight tackles, including three solo. His absence adds to the Raiders frustration at linebacker, as Nick Roach and Sio Moore were both inactive for the game at Wembley Stadium.

The six-year NFL veteran had 15 tackles in four games, including 11 on defense and four on special teams.

The unrestricted free agent signed a 3-year deal with the team in March of 2013 worth $6 million. Last season he finished with 17 tackles and appeared in nine games before being lost to a rib injury on November 28 and placed on injured reserve a week later.

Maiava appears headed into the offseason having appeared in just 13 of a possible 32 games over the past two seasons with the Raiders.