Penn’s consecutive-game run to end
Streak of 174 straight regular-season games over after foot injury
ALAMEDA, Calif. — No NFL offensive lineman owns a longer active streak of durability than Donald Penn. Next Monday, his streak will end. The Raiders left tackle won’t be on the field Christmas Day in Philadelphia against the Eagles. He suffered ligament damage in his right foot during Sunday’s loss to the Dallas Cowboys and will undergo season-ending surgery, a source said Monday. Coach Jack Del Rio confirmed the news, adding the procedure will be performed Wednesday.
Penn, 34, has appeared in 174 straight regular-season games with 170 consecutive starts.
The stretch began with his 2007 pro debut for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Marshall Newhouse flipped from right to left tackle Sunday following Penn’s second-quarter exit. Guard-tackle Vadal Alexander entered from the sideline and worked in Newhouse’s place. This very well could be the arrangement moving forward, but the Raiders have options.
The team will consider taking a look at rookie tackle David Sharpe, Del Rio said. It’s unclear if the coaches are comfortable entrusting him with a full starting load in Philadelphia, given some struggles Dec. 3 when taking three snaps in place of Penn against the New York Giants.
At minimum, the rookie fourthround pick could serve as a swing tackle moving forward. He was inactive Sunday.
“We’ll see how the week goes,” Del Rio said of Sharpe playing. “That’s why he’s here, and then obviously the way we finished the game the other night is an option. So we’ve got some work to do through the week in practice and see how guys prepare and how they work.”
Tackle Jylan Ware, a rookie seventh-round pick, won’t factor into those decisions. This is essentially a redshirt year for Ware, who has developed in practice while being a healthy scratch in all of the Raiders’ 14 games.
Despite Penn’s endurance streak, this is not the first time in 2017 the Raiders faced a situation in which they were without him. Granted, it only came in practice and the preseason, but the team worked without him for weeks during an offseason contract dispute that consumed all of training camp. He reported to the Raiders in August and signed a two-year, $20 million contract extension Sept. 15.
Half of Penn’s $6 million base salary in 2018 is fully guaranteed.
Notable
■ Center Rodney Hudson was added to the injury report on Sunday afternoon and listed as questionable with an illness. Del Rio disclosed on Monday that Hudson was dealing with a kidney stone leading up to the game. “He was able to somehow tough it out,” Del Rio said. “Obviously, modern medicine helped a little. … Pretty remarkable for a guy to be there for his teammates. There was never doubt. It was like, ‘Hey, are you going to be OK?’ He was like, ‘I’m playing.’ ”
Contact reporter Michael Gehlken at mgehlken@reviewjournal.com. Follow @Gehlkennfl on Twitter.