The Oakland Raiders have had an up-and-down 2019 season, providing fans with some thrilling wins in addition to some disappointing defeats, which can be expected from such a young team.
Unfortunately, the most consistent and important factor this season has been injuries. The Raiders have been seemingly stuck in a never-ending stream of injuries and that did not let up in Week 14.
This time, the biggest name sitting out of the matchup with the Tennessee Titans was rookie running back Josh Jacobs. The shoulder injury that has been hampering Jacobs all season finally got the best of him, in what turned out to be an emotional affair for the star rookie’s first missed game this season, via Jerry McDonald of the Oakland Tribune:
Gruden on Josh Jacobs: "He was really in tears today, he wanted to play. Took a shot to play like he's been doing but the injury wouldn't let him go out there and play under these circumstances and don't know what his status will be next week or the upcoming ballgames.'
— Jerry McDonald (@Jerrymcd) December 9, 2019
Jacobs has done all he can to play through his shoulder injury up until this point. It truly seems like he has given this season his all, but unfortunately, the determination of one player likely will not be enough to get the Raiders into the playoffs.
With the Raiders’ loss to the Titans, they slip to 6-7 and on the outside looking in at the AFC playoffs. Although they have not been ruled out yet, they will need to win nearly all of their remaining games as well get some help in order to secure a playoff berth.
As for the long term impact of Jacob’s shoulder injury, there is no telling how this affects the rest of his season. He has mustered through a slight fracture in his shoulder for more of the season, but the hope is that one week of rest will get him back on track for the remaining three games of his rookie campaign.
Considering he is a big part of the team’s future and a playoff spot isn’t looking likely though, the Raiders will likely be cautious with Jacobs the rest of the way to avoid any long-term damage. They have not said if surgery is a possibility, but Oakland would likely not hesitate to shut him down if necessary.
