Whenever a player is ruled out quickly during a game, that usually isn’t a very good sign. Often times, it means the team doctors saw something very concerning that usually has long-term consequences.
So when starting linebacker Nick Kwiatoski left the game in Week 1 due to a pectoral injury, most assumed he would be lost for the year. However, that doesn’t appear to be the case, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. It appears the Raiders and Kwiatoski may have avoided a major injury, but an MRI will be needed to see just how long he could be out.
#Raiders LB Nick Kwiatkoski, quickly ruled out yesterday with a pec injury, has some optimism that it’s not as bad as it appeared based on initial tests, source said. The MRI will tell the full story, but Kwiatkoski previously played through a worse pec injury.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 14, 2020
Kwiatkowski is one of the team’s most important defenders as he is in charge of making all of the defensive calls. And with his ability to make plays in space and in coverage, he was part of the reason so many were optimistic about this defense going forward.
While the status of Kwiatkoski remains a mystery going forward, you can expect the team will use more of Nicholas Morrow and Raekwon McMillian in his place. However, the Raiders are hopeful they won’t be without their new inside linebacker for very long.
Kwiatkoski finished his first game with the Raiders with four solo tackles and six total tackles in limited action.
