Subscribe
Follow Us
The Oakland Raiders have lost former Pro Bowl running back Marshawn Lynch for at least the next eight weeks after he was placed on the injured reserve due to groin surgery.
This has put his status for the rest of the year up in the air as there is no certainty that he will be able to return to the field at any point in the last few weeks of the season. According to Jordan Schultz of ESPN, the Raiders are holding out hope that he is able to take the field for Week 16 action in the home regular-season finale against the Denver Broncos.
#Raiders RB Marshawn Lynch had surgery last Thursday to repair his groin, per source. Lynch is hopeful to return this season and is averaging 4.2 YPC. The 32-year-old is eligible to return from IR Week 16 (Christmas Eve) for Oakland’s final home game – MNF against the #Broncos.
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) October 24, 2018
Lynch is recovering from an injury that he had been dealing with since the season opener against the Los Angeles Rams that had been able to play through in each of the first six games. However, he had undergone an MRI during the Raiders' Week 7 bye that revealed it was much more serious than had initially thought put him out of the mix for the next month.
Shortly after that, the situation changed to him getting surgery to repair the injury. His absence now leaves a notable hole in the backfield as he was the leading option in the running game that saw him record 376 rushing yards on 90 attempts and three touchdowns along with 15 receptions for 84 receiving yards.
He had put up dependable production that included posting 130 rushing yards against the Cleveland Browns in their lone win of the season. This is an intriguing situation for Oakland as Lynch is in the final year of his deal, which could mean that the Week 16 could be his last chance to play in front of the fanbase.
Regardless if he's able to return or not, the Raiders will likely look to lean on Doug Martin and Jalen Richard to carry the workload in his absence.
