The Oakland Raiders finally get their quarterback situation together, just in time for the running back position to take a big hit. On Sunday, both Darren McFadden and Marcel Reece left the game with injuries and now their status for next week has been deemed unknown. The Raiders backfield was already low on supporting talent and this does not help the situation.
Both McFadden and Reece were not made available to the media on Monday and head coach Dennis Allen is offering up very little clarity about their statuses. Allen only said that both player's injuries are minor, not major, and will not require any kind of surgeries. The team is in the process of determining when both will be physically able to play again.
McFadden's injury was his hamstring. Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network reports the running back avoided serious injury, but his status is "we'll see" for Week 5 against the Chargers. This has become the new normal for McFadden. The running back has dealt with injuries the past few years, leaving the Raiders to play the waiting game on what his overall health would be. The team was crossing their fingers that this year would be different, but McFadden has not changed.
Fantasy owners should beware. McFadden normally gets the bulk of the ground game work load and has looked improved so far this season. However, a hamstring injury will be tough to return from. Even if he is on the field, is production could decrease. With McFadden's history, it is best to end the investment with him.
The injury to McFadden would not be as big of a deal if Reece had not gone down as well. Reece went down with a knee injury which is believed to be more serious than McFadden's hamstring issue. This has the Raiders without two big offensive weapons, leaving coordinator Greg Olson scrambling.
"That's our three most explosive players," Olson said, via the San Mercury News. "Things are ... different without them."
The underlying issue is McFadden's contract. This is the running back's sixth season with an injury.He has missed 23 of the 80 games he has been available for. Entering into the final year of his contract, this could really hurt his ability to get re-signed in the offseason. The Raiders simply cannot count on McFadden. Durability is the biggest issue for running backs and he has flunked at it.
Going forward, Rashad Jennings will be the next man up should McFadden be totally out on Sunday. He ran for 45 yards on 15 carries in place of the running back against the Redskins.
