Raiders News: Derek Carr Dealing With ‘Significant’ Groin Injury
Derek Carr
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The Las Vegas Raiders suffered another heartbreaker with their 30-27 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday.

It is no secret that this game was a must-win for Las Vegas in order to keep their playoff hopes alive. They initially had good reason to be optimistic considering Los Angeles had been in the midst of a nine-game losing streak in the AFC West.

Unfortunately, the Raiders suffered a major blow after quarterback Derek Carr was sidelined during the first quarter due to a groin injury. They are now holding their breath in hope that it is not too serious.

According to Tashan Reed of The Athletic, head Coach Jon Gruden feels Carr’s injury is a significant one:

The update from Gruden is hardly a positive sign that Carr will be making his return under center by next week. Having an extra couple of days to recover should provide much more clarity on his status for Week 16.

Gruden actually provided another update on Carr on Friday, and it remains unclear when he will be able to return:

Backup quarterback Marcus Mariota did a stellar job of filling in for the injured Carr. The former No. 2 overall pick threw for 226 yards, a touchdown and an interception while completing over 60% of his throws. He also managed to rush for a game-high 88 yards and a touchdown in the loss.

Mariota may very well have the opportunity to provide the Raiders with plenty of bang for their buck as the highest-paid backup in the NFL. The team’s playoff hopes have firmly slipped away after losing four of their last five and there is little reason for them to risk having Carr suffer a potential setback in a lost season.

The onus could now fall on Mariota to help Las Vegas end the 2020 NFL season on a high note if Carr gets shut down. Things will not get any easier as they get set to host the Miami Dolphins at Allegiant Stadium next week.