The Oakland Raiders are hoping to break their four-game losing streak as they travel to take on the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 16.
There had been plenty of speculation regarding the status of running back Josh Jacobs heading into the final home game in Oakland. The rookie had been sidelined the previous week due to a lingering shoulder injury, however, he managed to fight through the pain to help his team win their last game at the Coliseum.
Although they came up short, Jacobs showed the kind of toughness and grittiness he is bringing to the table. It appears head coach Jon Gruden will not ask that out of him in Week 16.
According to Vic Tafur of The Athletic, Jacobs will not play in Los Angeles:
Gruden will hold out RB Josh Jacobs (shoulder) this week and see if he can go in season finale in Denver. #Raiders
— Vic Tafur (@VicTafur) December 18, 2019
Jacobs’ designation hardly comes as any surprise. The Raiders already took quite a risk by having him play through injury in the loss versus the Jacksonville Jaguars and are not interested in doing it again since there is really nothing at stake with two games left in the 2019 NFL season.
Elsewhere on the roster, Oakland has opted to place right tackle Trent Brown on injured reserve while nursing a pectoral injury. While Gruden had been holding out hope for his looming return, it seems he will opt to take a cautious approach with the key members of this roster.
Brown was only one of two players alongside center Rodney Hudson to earn a trip to the Pro Bowl for their efforts in the 2019 campaign. Unfortunately, Jacobs and tight end Darren Waller were among the notable snubs that will not be going for the first time despite their strong seasons. Both were selected as alternates along with Alec Ingold and Richie Incognito.
Although the rookie was more than deserving of the honor, it does not make much of a difference since he likely would not have been able to play anyways due to the injury. Regardless, this should still serve as some added motivation for Jacobs to kick his play up a notch in the 2020 NFL season when he comes back at 100 percent.
For now, the Raiders are still optimistic that he will be able to take part in the season finale against the Denver Broncos.
