The Oakland Raiders may have come away with a pivotal win in their AFC West showdown against the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday night, but the victory may have been costly.
Raiders safety Karl Joseph suffered a foot injury in the latter stages of the game and was seen on crutches afterward. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, there is fear that the injury is serious.
This would be a crushing blow for Oakland, as Joseph has been terrific in the Raiders' secondary this season, logging 48 tackles, an interception, a fumble recovery and three passes defended through nine games.
Joseph, who played his collegiate football at West Virginia, was originally selected by Oakland in the first round (14th pick overall) of the 2016 NFL Draft.
He played in 12 games during his rookie campaign, finishing with 60 tackles, a pick, a fumble recovery and six passes defended. Then, the following year, Joseph appeared in 15 contests, posting 78 tackles, a sack, an interception, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.
The 26-year-old participated in 13 games last season, totaling 48 tackles, a couple of sacks and a pick.
Nagging injuries have been a problem for Joseph throughout the early stages of his NFL career, as he has yet to play a full season, and it looks like that trend will continue this year.
The Raiders improved to 5-4 with their win over the Chargers and are still very much alive in the AFC playoff picture. They also have a very easy schedule ahead, as they will take on the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday before battling the New York Jets in Week 11.
Follow Us
Subscribe