For the third consecutive season, Johnathan Abram will finish the season on the injured reserve list for the Raiders. This time, it’s due to a shoulder injury that he suffered in the team’s Week 15 win over the Browns.
According to NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero, Abram will undergo shoulder surgery tomorrow and will miss the rest of the season. The expectation is that he will be ready for the 2022 season, which will be the final year of his rookie contract.
#Raiders safety Johnathan Abram will undergo season-ending shoulder surgery Thursday, per source. Abram hadn’t missed a snap prior to the injury and wanted to keep playing, but doctors advised him to shut it down. Will be fully healthy for 2022.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) December 22, 2021
Abram was having the best season of his career before the injury as he totaled 116 tackles for the Raiders. In fact, you can make a case that he was playing arguably the best game of his career against the Browns before he was forced to leave midway through that contest.
Injuries have been a problem for Abram as he’s played only 28 career games in three seasons for the Raiders. Twice, it’s been a shoulder injury that has knocked him out for the year.
The Raiders will likely replace him in the lineup with Dallin Leavitt, who has never started a game in the NFL. However, expect the Raiders to utilize a commit to replace their leading tackler in the secondary.
