Johnathan Abram played his first Raiders regular season game on Monday night. It may have been his last of the year.
The first-round draft pick suffered a torn rotator cuff during the 24-16 victory over the Broncos and will have surgery this week, Bleacher Report's Adam Lefkoe reported on Tuesday.
ESPN also reported about Abram's injury but said he'll receive a second opinion and that injured reserve is a possibility.
That would be a huge blow to the Raiders secondary, where he was paired with Karl Joseph in the back. He had a strong game against Denver, with three tackles and two quarterback pressures. He was often trying to deliver a tone-setting blow, and missed a few tackles because of it.
Head coach Jon Gruden loves Abram's enthusiasm, but knows it must be tempered some in the future. Or, if he's hurt, whenever he plays next.
"I think he probably got a little bit too reckless at times," Gruden said. "He made some great plays, some impact plays and certainly I think some tackles he's got to make for us, he missed, but his debut was pretty good."
Curtis Riley would be the first reserve up if Abram can't go, with Erik Harris available after that. Lamarcus Joyner is an excellent slot cornerback, but he has proven a quality safety and could move back and forth if required.
