The Raiders fear that veteran defensive lineman Justin Tuck has torn a pectoral muscle, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Tuck will miss several games and quite possibly the season.
Tuck signed a two-year, $11MM deal with Oakland prior to the 2014 season. In his first year in silver and black, Tuck racked up 43 tackles and 5.0 sacks in 15 games (12 starts). Thus far in 2015, Tuck hasn’t put up those same kinds of numbers, registering only seven tackles and 5.0 sacks through five games. However, as a starter at defensive end, Tuck was being counted on as a key member of the Raiders’ front seven.
In his final season with the Giants, Tuck racked up 11 sacks and forcing a pair of fumbles. He also received an impressive grade as a run-stopper in that campaign, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), which placed him seventh among 52 qualified 4-3 defensive ends last season.