COVID-19 cases continue to rapidly spread across the NFL, and the Las Vegas Raiders were one the teams hit hardest by the virus on Monday. Amid the mass amount of players to hit the COVID-19/Reserve list, the Raiders saw multiple key defensive pieces hit the shelf, according to Ari Meirov. The Raiders added linebackers KJ Wright, Patrick Onwuasor, Denzel Perryman, and Cory Littleton to the COVID-list, along with cornerback Casey Hayward and DT Darius Philbin.

This is a big blow for the Raiders who enjoyed a stellar defensive performance in Week 16 against the Denver Broncos. Obviously, the loss of four linebackers is going to have serious implications on the team's defense for their matchup against the Indianapolis Colts on Jan. 2.

With all of Littleton, Perryman, Wright, and Onwuasor on the COVID-list, the Raiders will likely be forced to make some mid-week transactions in order to account for their absences. As it stands, the next man up on the depth chart and the only remaining healthy linebacker on the roster is Devine Deablo, who has featured in all 15 games for the team this season, making three starts and recording 30 tackles.

The loss of Perryman and Littleton will be particularly significant for the Raiders. The pair have each started 13 games for the Raiders in 2021. Perryman leads the Raiders in tackles this season with 138, while Littleton ranks third on the defense with his 98 tackles.

The NFL saw a new record 106 players hit the COVID-list, with 96 of them having returned positive tests on Monday, per Tom Pelissero. Perhaps no team was affected as severely as the Raiders were, however.