Getty Oakland Raiders RT Trent Brown.
The Oakland Raiders have a short week to get ready for the Los Angeles Chargers and they’re in a tough spot because a lot of starters are dealing with injuries. One of the most important players on the roster is right tackle Trent Brown and he’s questionable to play. He hurt his leg and had to leave the game against the Detroit Lions. Brown hasn’t had much time to heal, but based on his latest Instagram post, the offensive lineman could be ready to go for Thursday’s matchup.
Brown was limited at Wednesday’s practice, so it wouldn’t be too surprising to see him on the field. Center Rodney Hudson could also be back for the game after he missed last Sunday’s. The Chargers have a strong defensive line, so the Raiders will need to be at as close to full strength as possible to pull off a win on a short week. Brown playing would do quite a bit to help that. Based on the previous toughness he’s displayed and his Instagram post, it looks like he’ll be a go.
Trent Brown Will Have His Hands Full if He Plays
If Trent Brown does play, he’s not going to have a very easy night of football. He’ll be facing off against Joey Bosa for most of the night, who is tied for fourth-most sacks in the NFL. Bosa often lines up on the right side, so it’s going to be to Brown’s job to shut him down. He has kept Von Miller, Khalil Mack and J.J. Watt from taking down the quarterback, so he’s more than up for the challenge. His injury could hamper him a bit, but he’s been banged up for most of the season and it hasn’t stopped him from being elite. The Bosa and Brown matchup should be a really good one to watch.
Follow the Heavy Oakland Raiders page for the latest breaking news, rumors and content!
Arden Key Had Successful Surgery
One player who definitely won’t be playing on Thursday is defensive end Arden Key. Fresh off back-to-back games with sacks for the first time in his career, Key seems to have broken his foot and could be done for the year. The Raiders haven’t put him on the injured reserve quite yet, but that will likely be coming soon. Fortunately, based on his Instagram story, he went through a successful surgery.
Key started off the season very slow but had finally started to heat up after returning from a different injury. Oakland will be really thin at defensive end as Josh Mauro is also out. That will leave Clelin Ferrell, Maxx Crosby and Benson Mayowa as the only active defensive ends on the roster. Those three are going to get a lot of snaps. Two of them are rookies, so they should at least be fresh. It looks like the Raiders may have another game with not much of a pass rush.
READ NEXT: Raiders Reveal Alternate Jerseys the Team Is Wearing vs. Chargers [LOOK]