Getty Oakland Raiders DE Arden Key.
The Oakland Raiders pulled off a close win in Week 9 against the Detroit Lions but didn’t leave the game unscathed. Multiple starters got banged up and their statuses are currently up in the air for Week 9. One player who almost certainly won’t be seeing the field against the Los Angeles Chargers is defensive end Arden Key, who broke his foot, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
#Raiders DE Arden Key suffered a broken foot on Sunday and is expected to be out for the season, source said. Key, who had a sack in each of the last two games, is getting a second opinion from Dr. Robert Anderson to confirm the initial view.
The injury could very well end his season. It happens just as he was starting to heat up. Much was made about how Key only got one sack his entire rookie year. He was supposed to turn things around this year but got off to a slow start and missed some time with a knee injury. He came back against the Houston Texans in Week 8 and it looked like he was ready to turn things around as he got a sack on Deshaun Watson. He also got a sack on Matthew Stafford in Week 9. It was the first time be got sacks in back-to-back games.
Unfortunately, it looks like he might get shut down and it will take until 2020 to see if these two games were an anomaly. The Raiders will need rookie Clelin Ferrell to start showing signs of improvement.
Trent Brown’s Status Seems Promising
It’s not all bad news for Oakland as Trent Brown’s MRI showed that his injury wasn’t too bad, according to Mercury News’ Jerry McDonald.
Jon Gruden’s fears about Arden Key’s foot were confirmed, but news was better regarding Daryl Worley, Trent Brown. With Thursday turnaround, hard to say whether those two will be good to go vs. Chargers though. #Raiders
Brown left early in the game versus the Lions and didn’t come back. He’s been banged up for most of the season and even missed the game against the Packers. He’s been one of the team’s most impressive players and couple be on his way to a pro bowl if he can stay on the field.
Daryl Worley also was hurt in the game. His injury doesn’t seem to be too concerning, but it remains to be seen if he’ll play on Thursday. Rodney Hudson also could be back soon. He missed his first start since 2015 on Sunday, but he’s as tough as they come. Even if he can’t go on Thursday, he should be back very soon.
Follow the Heavy Oakland Raiders page for the latest breaking news, rumors and content!
Short Week Doesn’t Help Matters
The status for Brown, Worley and Hudson would probably be more promising if the Raiders weren’t playing on Thursday. They only get four days in between games. Fortunately, it’s a home game for them, so they don’t have to travel, but they’re really banged up and the extra time could help. Head coach Jon Gruden isn’t a fan of playing on Thursday.
“I hate this. I don’t believe in this Thursday football,” said Gruden to the media on Monday. “I’m not going to be on my soap box any more than that. It hurts us. It hurts both teams. We take a lot of pride in getting our guys ready to play. We need a little time to do that.”
Thursday Night Football is a new tradition for the NFL and not many coaches or players seem to be fans. However, if the Raiders can survive and beat their divisional rival, they’re going to get a nice long week before they play the Cincinnati Bengals.
READ NEXT: How the Raiders Can Still Make the Playoffs