The Oakland Raiders were dealt a devastating blow during the 2019 NFL season opener after rookie safety Johnathan Abram suffered a blow to the shoulder that resulted in him landing on injured reserve.
The rookie had shown plenty of promise throughout training camp and the preseason and had done a solid job of carrying it over into the regular season. He had somehow managed to finish the win against the Denver Broncos with five tackles and one pass defended despite inadvertently dealing a severe injury to himself.
The fact that Abram somehow still managed to finish the game is a testament to the kind of toughness this hard-hitting safety brings to the defense. Regardless, he is still disappointed by the way his injury occurred.
Abram recalls having to take a moment to collect himself after awkwardly landing on his shoulder, via Get Up ESPN:
“It’s crazy, it didn’t happen from hitting anybody, it happened from hitting the ground. When I fell on the sideline, my arm fell over my head and it dislocated. And that’s why I came out the next play, I had to take a deep breath and it popped back in.”
Abram added that the pain of watching from the sidelines is worse than the injury itself, which shows how much he loves playing football:
“The worst pain is not playing. I went to London, you connect with people in the stands, I wanted to play. Especially just watching Josh Jacobs just run the ball down their throats, there’s nothing more exciting than that.”
Abram’s comments are certainly understandable considering he has shown to be one of the more passionate players on the roster. After all, his injury is indicative of his full-throttle playing style and there is no question that his absence has undoubtedly left a notable void in the Raiders’ secondary.
Oakland made quite the investment when they cashed in on one of their three first-round picks from the 2019 NFL Draft to take Abram. While he is happy to see if fellow rookies like running back Josh Jacobs and defensive end Clelin Ferrell help lead a resurgence, it is clear that missing out on the process has been tough for him.
Regardless, it is still encouraging to see the 22-year-old still trying to find ways to help his team while he continues to recover. Aside from defending his teammates against the masses, he has also taken on a recruiting role in a potential deal for Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Jalen Ramsey.
