Raiders' Joseph eager to return after ACL tear

For Oakland Raiders rookie safety Karl Joseph, training camp can't come soon enough.

The Raiders' 2016 first-round pick has been working since last October to recover from a torn ACL suffered in his final college season.

He's been forced to watch his teammates from the sidelines through offseason workouts, but he's scheduled to make his return to the field when camp opens July 29.

"It’s very hard," Joseph told his team's website. "It’s definitely frustrating for me at times, just out there watching practice, especially when guys make plays and it looks like everybody’s having fun. I love football. This is what I’ve been doing my whole life – it’s hard, especially going through my first injury and being out of it.

"It makes you appreciate it a lot more, but I’m just looking on the positive side. I’m close, closer than I was yesterday or last week to getting back on the field, so we just have to keep getting better."

Joseph admits that watching from afar has been tough, especially as he gets to know his teammates who are fully participating in on-field activities. The Raiders are hoping he will be ready to start when the season opens and Joseph says that he'll be good to go, once he gets to hit somebody again.

"I can’t wait to put pads back on and just get out there and compete with those guys," Joseph said. "That’s when I feel like everything will go back to normal, once I get that hit out. It feels like it’s been so long. It’s been a long time, man. I’m just ready and anxious to get back out there."