NFL notes: Marshawn Lynch to miss a month; Jaguars trade for RB Carlos Hyde
Oakland Raiders running back Marshawn Lynch will miss at least a month because of a groin injury, multiple media outlets have reported and the Associated Press confirmed through a source.
A person familiar with the injury but not authorized to disclose it publicly said Friday that an MRI exam this week determined the severity of the injury. The NFL Network first reported the diagnosis.
Lynch was hurt last week in Oakland’s 27-3 loss to Seattle in London. The Raiders (1-5) are off this week and will play again on Oct. 28 at home against Indianapolis. Oakland could choose to place Lynch on injured reserve, which would require him to miss at least eight weeks.
The 32-year-old Lynch has been one of the few bright spots for the Raiders this season. He ranks 12th in the league with 376 yards rushing, averaging 4.2 yards per carry with three touchdowns. Lynch ranks fourth in the NFL in rushing since Week 12 last season.
Lynch’s best game came in Oakland’s only win when he ran for 130 yards last month against Cleveland when he showed off the power that earned him the nickname Beast Mode. Lynch came out of retirement last season in order to join the hometown Raiders before they move to Las Vegas in 2020. He is in the final year of his contract.
With Lynch sidelined, the struggling Raiders will likely turn to Doug Martin and Jalen Richard to carry the bulk of the load at running back. Martin was signed to be the main backup to Lynch this season but has been unproductive so far. He has 27 carries for 99 yards and four catches for 5 yards this season. He is averaging just 3.0 yards per carry since the start of the 2016 season.
Richard is more of a receiving back, ranking second on the team with 31 catches for 253 yards. Richard has carried the ball 11 times for 32 yards this year and has never had more than nine carries in a game in his three seasons in the NFL.
The only other halfback on the roster is DeAndre Washington, who injured his knee in training camp and has not been active yet despite being healthy the past few weeks.
Jaguars acquire Hyde from the Browns
The Jacksonville Jaguars traded for Cleveland running back Carlos Hyde on Friday, adding a proven starter while Leonard Fournette progresses slowly from a strained right hamstring.
The Browns (2-3-1) will get a 2019 fifth-round draft pick from the Jaguars in exchange for Hyde, who has 382 yards rushing and five touchdowns in his first season in Cleveland. Hyde signed a three-year, $15.25-million contract in March.
The Jaguars (3-3) were willing to take on the financial commitment because leading rusher T.J. Yeldon will become a free agent at the end of this season. So will third-stringer Corey Grant, who was placed on injured reserve last week because of a foot injury. The Jaguars signed veteran Jamaal Charles to a one-year contract to replace Grant.
Fournette was ruled out for Sunday’s game against Houston. It will be the fifth game he’s missed this season because of the nagging injury.
Cleveland had seemed pleased with Hyde, but his departure clears the way for rookie Nick Chubb to be the team’s primary back. He’s averaging nearly 10 yards per carry.
The NFL trading deadline is Oct. 30.
In other NFL news:
— The Arizona Cardinals fired offensive coordinator Mike McCoy a day after the team was blown out at home by the Denver Broncos on national television. First-year head coach Steve Wilks said Friday that quarterbacks coach Byron Leftwich will take over the job for a club that is 1-6, the worst record in the league.
— Philadelphia Eagles running back Darren Sproles will miss his sixth straight game because of a hamstring injury, and cornerback Sidney Jones and safety Corey Graham are also out for Sunday’s game against Carolina.
— The Cincinati Bengals ruled out first-round pick Darqueze Dennard, their best slot cornerback, for the game against the Kansas City Chiefs because of a shoulder injury. They also ruled out linebacker Nick Vigil (knee) and listed safety Shawn Williams (concussion) as questionable. Running back Giovani Bernard (knee), tight end Tyler Kroft (foot) and center Billy Price (foot) are also out for Cincinnati. The Chiefs are expected to be without safety Eric Berry (heel) and linebackerJustin Houston (hamstring), who are both listed as doubtful.
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