Getty Oakland Raiders RB Josh Jacobs.
It wouldn’t be an Oakland Raiders Christmas without some concerning news coming from one of the team’s star players. Josh Jacobs has missed two of the last three games with a shoulder injury but still hasn’t been ruled for the last game of the season versus the Denver Broncos. With a recent Instagram post from the rookie running back, it’s looking even less likely that he plays on Sunday.
It appears as if Jacobs went through a surprise, albeit successful, surgery on his calf area.
Now, he doesn’t seem too concerned about it and he did note that it was a very fast procedure. At this point, there is little to nothing known about this new ailment for Jacobs. It remains to be seen if this will affect his playing status going forward. Jon Gruden should have an update before the end of the day Thursday.
UPDATE: The Raiders have released a statement regarding Josh Jacobs’ surgery.
The Raiders issued a statement on Josh Jacobs saying on social media he had undergone surgery on Wednesday. t.co/4EWryPFj89
Head coach Jon Gruden also spoke about the surgery after Thursday’s practice and revealed that it won’t have any effect on his playing status for Sunday. He did mention that there is still uncertainty with the shoulder.
Pro Football Doctor Speculates
Dr. David J. Chao took to Twitter to offer some speculation on what could’ve happened to Jacobs. While he could not give any concrete answers, Dr. Chao was able to offer a few guesses as to what could be wrong with the running back.
Jacobs did appear on Tuesday’s injury report with an “illness.” There was no information previously revealed about an illness he was suffering until Tuesday. Perhaps the illness was affecting his leg. Like Dr. Chao mentioned, it doesn’t seem to be too serious on the surface. Also, the fact that the surgery was on his leg means it shouldn’t affect his ability to run too much unless it was an internal issue.
Jacobs has proven to be incredibly tough. If Dr. Chao is correct and Jacobs is suffering from some kind of laceration, cyst or boil, it’s doubtful the running back will let one of those factors keep him out. The shoulder issue remains the largest area of concern.
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Most Broken Tackles Since Beast Mode
Even if Jacobs has to sit out the regular-season finale for the Raiders, he’s already cemented himself as one of the most exciting running backs in the NFL. The rookie has forced 70 missed tackles this season, per Pro Football Focus, which is better than any rookie since the 2006 season.
Despite missing two games due to injury, @iAM_JoshJacobs has forced more missed tackles (70) than any rookie since 2006, according to @PFF.
Jacobs’ 70 forced missed tackles on runs are the most in the NFL since Marshawn Lynch’s 91 in 2014.
He also has more forced missed tackles than any running back since Marshawn Lynch had 91 in 2014. Not bad for a 21-year-old with a bum shoulder. He has the potential to miss three games in total this year. However, he should still be the favorite for Offensive Rookie of the Year. Even though he’s been injured, he’s still PFF’s top-graded running back on the season. Not just rookie.
Josh Jacobs 📈
90.4 overall grade (1st among all RBs)
90.5 rushing grade (1st)
0.27 missed tackles forced per rushing attempt (1st)
He was already snubbed from the pro bowl, so he should at least get honored as the Offensive Rookie of the Year. Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray is the only real competition Jacobs has, but the Raiders running back has done more for a better team. If he doesn’t finish the season, Jacobs still has a chance to be top-10 in rushing yards this year.
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