The Week 15 matchup for Las Vegas will be without the current NFL rushing champion. Raiders’ running back Josh Jacobs, dealing with a quadriceps injury, has been designated as questionable and is confirmed to sit out Thursday night’s clash against the Los Angeles Chargers, as reported by NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo, citing sources.
Despite the Raiders giving Jacobs until this afternoon to assess his fitness for the game, it became evident as kickoff approached that he wouldn’t be taking the field tonight. Jacobs’ quadriceps ailment, which prevented his participation in practice throughout the week, will sideline him for this crucial matchup.
The significance of Jacobs to the Raiders’ ground game cannot be overstated. As a two-time Pro Bowler and the reigning rushing leader with 1,653 yards in 2022, Jacobs has amassed 805 yards this season, a substantial 742 yards more than the team’s second-leading rusher, wide receiver Tre Tucker, with 63 yards.
With Jacobs out, the Raiders will likely turn to Zamir White (20 carries for 54 yards) and Ameer Abdullah (six attempts for 42 yards) to handle an increased workload compared to any previous game this season.
Jacobs’ resilience was evident last season as he played through numerous injuries. However, his quad injury will bring an end to his streak of 44 consecutive games played. The absence of Jacobs will necessitate adjustments in the Raiders’ game plan as they kick off against the Chargers at 8:15 p.m. ET Thursday on Prime Video.
