It was something many Oakland Raiders fans hoped didn't happen, but the injury was too much for Karl Joseph. The devastated Oakland fans have seen the last of their strong safety playing in Oakland-Almeda County Coliseum due to the foot injury he sustained in Week 9.

Adam Schefter detailed the unfortunate news on his Twitter account. He also detailed the subsequent moves the team made since then to make up for his loss.

The loss is a painful one for Raiders fans as Joseph was one of the team's key cogs on defense. His ability to stop the ball has been invaluable to the Raiders as they try to make the playoffs in their final year in California.

His stats back up his importance. He matched his total tackle numbers in 2018–48–with four fewer games played. He's also made a fumble recovery, three pass deflections, and the interception that won their game against the Los Angeles Chargers.

Moreover, he's a leader in the locker room. After their win over the Detroit Lions in October, he outright declared that they're always looking for playoff football.

“That's our goal, playoffs,” Joseph said, per Yahoo! Sports. “Nothing less. Playoffs, Super Bowl and I think we can compete and play against anybody in this league and we've shown that these past couple weeks. We just got to learn how to finish the game in those big games that count.”

D.J. Swearinger, the man who will replace him for the second half of the season, played four seasons for the Arizona Cardinals before getting released on waivers. He has also made stops in Houston, Tampa Bay, and Washington.