Raiders Place Marshawn Lynch On IR

The injury Marshawn Lynch suffered will prompt the Raiders to place him on IR, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. The Raiders, who traded Amari Cooper earlier on Monday, now have two open roster spots.

It’s more of a core muscle issue than a groin problem, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. Either way, Lynch will be out of commission for a while.

With Lynch’s contract up at season’s end, it’s certainly possible this move signals he’s played his final game as a Raider. He would be unable to return from IR until Week 16, and at the rate the Raiders are going, they figure to be in contention for the 2019 No. 1 overall pick by then and may not have much use for their starting running back.

However, the Raiders’ Las Vegas stadium is not set to open until at least 2020. Another Oakland season isn’t a lock, but it’s been tentatively assumed the team will stay in the Bay Area next year. This is relevant because of Lynch’s desire to play for the Raiders when they’re in his hometown and not in Vegas, so a re-up could commence in 2019 if Jon Gruden and his affinity for veterans believes Lynch can be productive next season, assuming Lynch wants to continue his career.

Lynch had strong moments this season, mainly a 130-yard game against the Browns in Week 4. He rushed for touchdowns in each of the Raiders’ first three games. He averaged 4.3 yards per carry last season and finished with 891 rushing yards in 15 games, only missing a game because of a suspension. Lynch missed much of his final Seahawks season because of injury.

Doug Martin and Jalen Richard will be the primary backs when the Raiders’ season resumes this week.