Getty Las Vegas Raiders WR Henry Ruggs.
After making his presence as a playmaker known quickly, Henry Ruggs had to leave the field late in the second quarter with an apparent leg injury. Based on how the Las Vegas Raiders were using him, it’s clear that he’s meant to be an important part of the offense. Fortunately, he was able to walk off the field on his own but was walking very slowly.
Ruggs is a pretty resilient player but the Carolina Panthers’ defensive back did land awkwardly on the rookie’s leg. The fact that he was able to walk off the field is a really good sign but it remains to be seen just how bad the injury is. The Raiders already lost Tyrell Williams for the season to injury and can’t afford to lose Ruggs for any amount of time.
UPDATE: After halftime, Ruggs made his way to the sideline and was able to run, according to Vincent Bonsignore.
Henry Ruggs is back on the @Raiders sideline – ran all the way there from the locker room.
However, the Raiders have listed the wide receiver as questionable.
Henry Ruggs III (knee) is questionable to return. #LVvsCAR
While the team did list Ruggs as questionable, he returned to the field and should be good to go.
Trent Brown out for the Game
Unfortunately for the Raiders, Ruggs’ injury wasn’t the only bad news the team received. Las Vegas announced early on that Pro Bowl right tackle Trent Brown is out for the entire game with a calf injury. He missed a lot of time in training camp but the fact that the Raiders went into this game with only one backup offensive tackle active made it seem like his injury wasn’t cause for concern.
Brown has been ruled OUT.
Brown is one of the two highest-paid players on the Raiders but he’s been hampered with injuries over his first two years with the team. He’s an absolute stud when he’s healthy but it’s going to be a problem if all that cap space is eaten up for a guy who isn’t playing.
Veteran offensive lineman Sam Young has been playing for Brown and doing well. He took the first-team reps in training camp when Brown was out so he’s definitely ready to fill in. While it’s preferable to have Brown out there, Young is a more than capable backup.
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Ruggs Playing Well Before Injury
Prior to leaving the field, Ruggs was having an impressive debut. He caught a deep pass from Derek Carr on one of his first plays.
Yeah. @__RUGGS is as advertised.
The Raiders have been targeting him a lot and he’s also been handed the ball off a couple of times. The team has big plans for him and are ready to have such a dynamic playmaker on the squad. What’s exciting about seeing Ruggs is that the Raiders have already started to open up the offense. The team has been criticized for having a pretty stagnant offense but that was more due to the lack of talent. With Ruggs in town, there are no more excuses.
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