The Oakland Raiders have seen the 2018 season go south in a hurry that landed them with one of the worst records in the league winning just one of their first seven games of the year.
Things have become further compounded as former Pro Bowl running back Marshawn Lynch has been placed on the injured reserve due to a core muscle injury in his groin that could possibly lead to surgery, according to Ian Rapoport of The NFL Network.
Lynch had initially been ruled out for the next month with a groin injury that has nagged him through the first several weeks of the 2018 season. He had been listed on the injury report with that issue since the season opener against the Los Angeles Rams, and it has continued to persist to the point to where he had an MRI done to check out the severity of it. This latest move now shows how significant the ailment is that it will require surgery that could possibly end his 2018 season.
This is simply a huge blow to the Raiders offense as Lynch has proven to be an effective option in the running game through the first several weeks of the season. In the first six games played, he has tallied 376 rushing yards on 90 attempts and three touchdowns along with 15 receptions for 84 receiving yards. He has provided stability in the running game the team has leaned upon that has seen him post 130 rushing yards against the Cleveland Browns in their lone win of the season.
His absence will now thrust the workload in the backfield upon either Doug Martin or Jalen Richard over the next couple of months. The Raiders could also head to the trade market or possibly bring some help in via the free agent market to add more stability to the position.