Josh Jacobs injury: Las Vegas Raiders HC Jon Gruden reveals RB's status for Week 4

The Las Vegas Raiders are 3-0 but it's not quite smooth sailing in Sin City. Their starting running back, Josh Jacobs, has been working through injury and attendance issues all season long. Jacobs is currently dealing with toe and ankle injuries.

After the win on Sunday, Jon Gruden was asked how Jacobs was feeling. This is what he had to say, according to Raiders Wire.

“I met with Josh this morning and we’re going to see how he feels on the practice field this week,” Gruden said of Jacobs. “Not making any predictions, but we’re hopeful we can get him back on the grass at some point this week.”

Josh Jacobs and the state of the Las Vegas Raiders' backfield

For fantasy owners and Raiders hopefuls, the answer is a glass-half-full or glass-half-empty statement. Some may see this as an expectation that Jacobs will practice this week and therefore has a great shot at featuring in Week 4. However, skeptics see this as a non-answer. To them, Jon Gruden might as well have said nothing.

While the Raiders are 3-0, they will need Jacobs before it is all said and done. Over the last two seasons, Jacobs has been a 1,000-yard rusher each year. The running back was trending up before injuries knocked his momentum.

In his first year in the NFL, Jacobs rushed for 1150 yards and seven touchdowns. In 2020, Jacobs ran for 1065 yards but 12 touchdowns. While the yardage dropped by about 100 yards, any coach would rather have five scores than 100 yards.

In 2021, Jacobs had ten attempts. In those rushes, he had two touchdowns. Of course, that ratio of touchdowns per rush is not replicable, but it does give the Raiders hope that Jacobs will be quite productive this season upon returning.

Kenyan Drake and Peyton Barber have stepped up in place of Jacobs. Drake has largely been ineffective, but Peyton Barber has been a pleasant surprise. In the game against the Dolphins, Barber rushed 23 times for 111 yards and a touchdown. By comparison, Drake has rushed 21 times for 44 yards all season long.

Miami Dolphins v Las Vegas Raiders

While Barber has held his own, it seems unlikely that his streak will continue forever. At least the odds are decent that Josh Jacobs will be more productive than the third-string rusher. Put simply, the Raiders need Jacobs back as soon as possible.

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