Raiders’ Ruthless Cut: Tommy Mellott Tossed Aside Like Yesterday’s News—Can He Escape the Practice Squad Dungeon?

The Las Vegas Raiders have done it again.

Yes, the same franchise that has built its brand on chaos, questionable decision-making, and a deep love of turning minor roster moves into headline-level gossip.

This week’s sacrificial lamb? None other than wide receiver Tommy Mellott, a man who went from camp hopeful to practice squad maybe in the time it takes Jimmy Garoppolo to throw an interception.

The news dropped like a bomb on Twitter, with the official Raiders account announcing the waiver like it was the plot twist in an HBO miniseries.

 

Fans gasped, critics smirked, and somewhere in Montana, Mellott’s college buddies probably cracked open a beer and said, “Well, at least he lasted longer than most of us thought. ”

For those who don’t know Mellott, don’t worry—you’re not alone.

Outside of Bozeman, Montana, where he was once treated like the second coming of Joe Montana’s lesser-known cousin, Mellott’s name doesn’t exactly spark instant recognition.

He’s not Davante Adams.

He’s not even Hunter Renfrow.

But to diehard Montana State fans, “Touchdown Tommy” was their golden boy, their local legend, their small-town hero who dared to dream of Sunday lights.

And for a brief, flickering second, he wore the silver and black.

But alas, NFL dreams are crueler than a TikTok comment section, and the Raiders did what the Raiders do best—they waived him before anyone could even figure out how to spell his name without checking Google.

Of course, NFL insiders immediately tried to spin it as “business as usual. ”

ESPN talking heads shrugged and mumbled things like “low-impact move” and “he’ll probably land on the practice squad. ”

But fans weren’t having it.

 

Raiders Twitter spiraled into full meltdown mode, posting reaction gifs of toddlers crying, memes of SpongeBob packing his things, and dramatic declarations like “Mark Davis doesn’t care about heart. ”

One fan even tweeted, “This is worse than when they benched Derek Carr. ”

Another went further: “First Gruden, then Henry Ruggs, now this? I’m done. ”

The fact that anyone would rank Mellott’s release alongside those particular scandals is laughable—but welcome to Raiders Nation, where the line between rational football discourse and full-blown soap opera is blurrier than Antonio Brown’s helmet vision.

But let’s not pretend this move was just about football.

No, no, this is the Raiders.

Drama follows this franchise like a Kardashian follows camera crews.

Sources (by which I mean one guy in a Vegas dive bar) whispered that Mellott’s fate was sealed not on the field, but off it.

Apparently, he had the audacity to walk into practice wearing socks that didn’t match team colors.

According to our completely fabricated but emotionally accurate “expert,” Coach Josh McDaniels saw it and screamed, “Not in my house!” before demanding his release papers be drawn up.

Another fake insider told us that Mellott made the fatal mistake of asking if the team cafeteria could add ranch dressing to the menu.

In Raider-land, that’s practically treason.

 

Of course, Mellott himself hasn’t said much, because what can you say when your NFL dream collapses faster than a sandcastle at high tide? He posted a vague Instagram story—a black screen with the caption, “Trust the process. ”

Classic.

The universal language of athletes who just got cut but don’t want to look too sad in front of their followers.

Still, you can’t help but wonder what’s next for him.

Will he cling to the practice squad, grinding in anonymity while praying for an injury above him on the depth chart? Or will he go full Johnny Manziel, cash in on his brief fame, and start a podcast called “Cut But Not Broken”?

Fans are already romanticizing his comeback story.

“This is just the beginning,” one optimistic commenter wrote.

“Tommy Mellott will rise again!” Rise from what, exactly? Being WR9 on a preseason depth chart? But hey, NFL fans love an underdog tale.

Just ask Kurt Warner, who went from stocking groceries to hoisting a Lombardi Trophy.

Could Mellott be the next Warner? Statistically speaking, no.

But in the wild fever dreams of Raiders Nation, anything is possible.

Meanwhile, the Raiders front office is pretending this was just another day at the office, as though releasing Mellott was the same as changing printer ink.

 

But let’s be real—this move says more about the Raiders than it does about Mellott.

This is a franchise that has mastered the art of turning drama into brand identity.

Al Davis built the “Just Win, Baby” empire, and now Mark Davis seems determined to carry on the legacy with “Just Waive, Baby. ”

Every roster cut becomes a mini-scandal, every transaction a headline.

It’s almost impressive.

If the NFL handed out trophies for most chaotic energy, the Raiders would be hoisting Lombardis every season.

And speaking of chaos, let’s not forget the fan theories swirling around this move.

Some believe it was a smokescreen to distract from bigger problems—like the fact that the Raiders’ offensive line looks like Swiss cheese and the defense tackles about as well as a mannequin.

Others think it’s part of a larger conspiracy to keep Davante Adams happy.

“Maybe they promised Davante they’d clear out anyone who might steal his shine,” one fan speculated.

Because yes, in the eyes of Raiders Nation, even Tommy Mellott could’ve been a threat to one of the league’s best receivers.

Sure.

Makes sense.

Then there’s the Hollywood angle.

Mellott’s story is so perfectly tragic it’s practically begging for a Netflix documentary.

Picture it: “Undrafted: The Tommy Mellott Story.

” Cue slow-motion footage of him jogging off the practice field while sad indie music plays.

 

Add in interviews with tearful high school coaches, a dramatic voiceover about chasing dreams, and boom—you’ve got a hit.

Because in today’s media landscape, nothing says relevance like being cut by the Raiders and turning it into content.

So where does this leave us? Mellott is technically unemployed but maybe not for long if he sneaks onto the practice squad.

Raiders fans are grieving as though they lost a Hall of Famer.

And the rest of us are just laughing at the sheer absurdity of it all.

Because only the Raiders could turn a roster cut of a fringe player into national gossip fodder.

Only the Raiders could make people genuinely upset over the fate of a guy who, statistically speaking, probably wasn’t going to catch more than one pass this season.

And only the Raiders could remind us once again that in Las Vegas, football is less about the game and more about the show.

At the end of the day, Tommy Mellott will be fine.

Maybe he’ll get another shot.

Maybe he’ll fade into obscurity.

Maybe he’ll start selling insurance in Billings and become a local legend all over again.

But for now, he’ll always have the honor of being part of the Raiders’ greatest tradition: giving us something ridiculous to talk about.

And isn’t that what football is really all about?

So here’s to you, Tommy Mellott.

You came, you saw, you wore the jersey, and then you got waived.

And in the weird, messy, over-dramatized universe of the Raiders, that’s practically a badge of honor.