Will Josh Jacobs play in Week 5?

Josh Jacobs and the Raiders fell back to earth on Monday Night Football after suffering a resounding defeat at the hands of the Los Angeles Chargers. For them to bounce back from such a big loss, they will need everyone.

Unfortunately, Josh Jacobs has not been the healthiest running back in 2021. Will Jacobs finally be fully healthy and play in Week Five?

Injury update on Josh Jacobs

The Raiders need everyone, but Josh Jacobs and his ankle injury have been the cause of him being limited in practice, according to CBS Sports. As Jacobs deals with the injury, it is unclear if he will be ready to play this weekend.

Last week, Josh Jacobs was able to play in the game, but his effect was negligible as he ran 13 times for 40 yards and had five receptions for 17 yards. He averaged 3.1 yards per attempt.

The struggle was partially due to the ankle, partially due to the Chargers' defensive line, and partly because the Raiders were behind for the entire game and were forced to pass in order to catch up.

With the Raiders falling behind early and remaining there, the team minimized their runs and leaned heavily on passing. As such, the running back had less use.

However, to win this weekend, the Raiders will need to lean on their running game against the Chicago Bears. To accomplish this, they'll need Josh Jacobs to be healthy.

Options without Josh Jacobs

If Jacobs doesn't play, the Raiders will have to lean on his backup, Kenyan Drake. Normally, the Raiders would have other options without Jacobs. However, running back Peyton Barber is also questionable and running back Jalen Richard is on injured reserve.

Without Josh Jacobs, it's possible that the Raiders may only have one running back available to play this weekend.

Barring an emergency free agent signing, the Raiders will be forced to test the Bears' secondary more than they would otherwise want to. Options for emergency signings include Todd Gurley, Duke Johnson and Kerryon Johnson.

Todd Gurley would be the favorite for the Raiders based on his experience and many accolades in the league but he carries his own injury history.

Chicago Bears v Los Angeles Rams

Still, Todd Gurley could be effective in keeping the running back game afloat while the team gets healthy at the position. Gurley may even replace Kenyan Drake, who is having a mediocre start to the season. Drake is averaging only 2.1 yards per carry so far in 2021.