The Oakland Raiders will be losing their lock-down offensive lineman this week. Lineman Donald Penn will undergo surgery on his foot, ending his season. This will be the first game Penn has ever missed since joining the league in 2007. Ian Rapoport reported the news on Twitter.
#Raiders LT Donald Penn is having foot surgery on Thursday & is out for the season, source said. Oakland’s rock. 1st missed game since ’07!
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 18, 2017
Penn suffered the injury in the Raiders game against the Dallas Cowboys. The Raiders would lose the game 20-17. He is not the first player this season who’s streak has come to an end this season. Cleveland Browns lineman Joe Thomas tore his triceps earlier this year, ending his season.
Penn has been a reliable lineman for the Raiders since he signed with the team since 2014. He was originally drafted by the Minnesota Vikings and spent most of his career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Penn has been dealing with some injuries this offseason. He injured his knee in last season’s Wild Card matchup against the Houston Texans. That afternoon did not go as planned for the Raiders, who had a promising season until quarterback Derek Carr went down with a season-ending leg injury.
It seems that since Carr’s injury, nothing has gone right for the Raiders. The Raiders sit at third in the AFC West with a 6-8 record. Many people believed the Raiders to be the team to win the division, even challenge the New England Patriots to play in the Super Bowl.
The Raiders will not get their rock back until next week. Right now, the Raiders need to focus on making it to the playoffs. Though they are not yet eliminated from the playoffs, one slip and they will be watching the Wild Card from home.
