Oakland Raiders rookie running back Josh Jacobs was downgraded to out on Saturday with a shoulder injury and illness for the team’s regular-season finale against the host Denver Broncos.
Jacobs, who had been listed as doubtful by the Raiders on Friday, did not practice this week after sitting out last week’s 24-17 victory at the Los Angeles Chargers.
Jacobs underwent surgery to treat a skin infection on his leg Wednesday.
The 21-year-old has missed two of the Raiders’ past three games with a fractured right shoulder.
Jacobs has rushed for 1,150 yards and seven touchdowns in 13 games since being selected by the Raiders with the 24th overall pick of the 2019 NFL Draft.
Reserves DeAndre Washington and Jalen Richard are expected to receive the bulk of the workload for Oakland (7-8), which will need a fair amount of help in order to qualify for the playoffs.
In addition to defeating the Broncos (6-9) on Sunday, Oakland also needs to have the Indianapolis Colts (7-8) beat the Jacksonville Jaguars (5-10), the Tennessee Titans (8-7) lose to the Houston Texans (10-5) and the Pittsburgh Steelers (8-7) fall to the Baltimore Ravens (13-2).
Also, the Raiders need a victory from one of four teams — the New England Patriots (vs. Miami Dolphins), Chicago Bears (vs. Minnesota Vikings), Los Angeles Chargers (vs. Kansas City Chiefs) and Detroit Lions (vs. Green Bay Packers) — in order to gain a strength-of-victory tiebreaker over the Steelers.
