There has certainly been no shortage of action in the joint practice sessions between the Oakland Raiders and Los Angeles Rams ahead of their matchup in the 2019 NFL preseason opener on Saturday.
To no surprise, multiple fights have broken out between the Rams and Raiders. Perhaps the most intriguing was the heavyweight squabble between Gabe Jackson and Aaron Donald that required both sides to break up.
Although all players involved were able to walk away with any injuries, it appears Jackson’s luck may have run out at a later time in practice.
According to Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, he was carted off the practice field with an apparent leg injury that occurred during a team drill:
Injury happened in a team period. Entire Raiders offensive line gathered around RG Gabe Jackson before cart drove him away for further evaluation.
— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) August 8, 2019
While no further details have been revealed about Jackson’s injury, head coach Jon Gruden did express some concern regarding how it had occurred, via Scott Bair of NBC Sports:
“We’re concerned, obviously,” Raiders head coach Jon Gruden said right after practice. “We’re really concerned. We’ll get more information that will allow us to be specific with you.”
Gruden saw the play happen working with the Raiders offense during the joint session.
“He just got rolled up,” Gruden said. “We’re hoping he’s okay.”
The prospect of him having to miss any time would deal a crucial blow to this revamped Raiders’ offensive line, however, the team is hoping that it is not too severe. Gruden is beginning to think of a backup plan though if Jackson is forced to miss an extended period of time:
“We’ll have to put our heads together,” Gruden said. “And take a look at where we’re going if Gabe isn’t available.”
It is no secret that Oakland had plenty of work to do on the offensive side of the ball prior to the 2019 NFL season. Regardless, their primary goal was to make it through the preseason as healthy as possible, especially at their key positions up front.
The Raiders put an emphasis on shoring up the protection for Derek Carr with the lucrative signing of Trent Brown and the addition of Richie Incognito in free agency this offseason. Jackson was set to resume his normal spot in between Brown and Rodney Hudson at right guard, however, his absence potentially opens the door for some other names to step up.
Filling in at his spot for the rest of practice was backup Denver Kirkland. Meanwhile, Jordan Devey also reportedly got some work in with the first-team offense.
The Raiders will likely do what they can to play it safe and ensure that there are no more setbacks. Of course, this is much easier said than done considering all the risks involved the moment a player steps on the field.
