Pro Bowler Brown’s season over.
ALAMEDA >> Offensive tackle Trent Brown was placed on injured reserve Wednesday a day after making his first Pro Bowl. His season is over.
Josh Jacobs remains on the 53-man roster, but won’t face the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday because of a shoulder injury he’s played with since Oct. 20. Coach Jon Gruden is holding out hope Jacobs will be able to play against Denver in the regular-season finale on Dec. 29.
Meanwhile, left guard Richie Incognito exited the locker room in a walking boot on his right ankle, injured on the last play of a 20-16 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
So it goes for the Raiders, who now have 12 men on injured reserve with Brown’s addition.
Included among the dozen are some key players — tight end Foster Moreau, guard/center Jordan Devey, safeties Karl Joseph and
Johnathan Abram, defensive end Arden Key and return specialist/wide receiver Dwayne Harris.
Brown’s loss comes after he missed his second consecutive game with a pectoral injury sustained in Kansas City on Dec. 1. Brown also missed the Raiders’ game in Green Bay in Week 7 with an ankle sprain and has dealt with that injury ever since.
“His pec is not getting any better,” Gruden said.
Signed to a four-year, $66 million contract that made him the highest paid lineman in the NFL (he’s since been passed by Eagles right tackle Lane Johnson), what Brown put on film was impressive enough that he was voted to his first Pro Bowl despite playing a good portion of the season at less than 100 percent.
Brown and center Rodney Hudson were the lone Raiders Pro Bowl selections, with Incognito, Jacobs, tight end Darren Waller and fullback Alec Ingold named as alternates.
“To me, he’s the best right tackle in the game,” Gruden said. “If you watch his play in London, if you watch his play against any of the teams that he’s played against he’s a difference-maker in pass protection, he’s a good run player and obviously he’s been well-respected by his peers in the league.”
Quarterback Derek Carr had a front-row seat seeing Brown at his best.
“You literally see him throw grown men eight to 10 yards off the ball,” Carr said. “It’s crazy what he’s able to do against some real talented people. When you lose a guy like that, obviously it hurts, but with the year he’s had, him going to the Pro Bowl is rightfully deserved.”
Jacobs missed the Raiders 42-21 loss to Tennessee, but returned to carry 24 times for 89 yards in the loss to Jacksonville. The Raiders have listed Jacobs as having a shoulder injury. Jacobs said on Snapchat the week of the Titans game it was fractured, and told reporters last Friday he wouldn’t need surgery but would have to rest at least six weeks following the season.
It’s been tough on him since the Green Bay game,” Gruden said. “We’ve had to manage it — he’s had to manage it more than anybody. And it’s affected his overall game, working in the passing game, and when you miss practice and you’re injured it’s hard to work on a lot of things sometimes.”
Injured on the first carry against the Packers — he left the field to get a pain-killing injection and immediately returned — Jacobs has 154 carries for 720 yards since being hurt and has needed a shot each time to play.
Also sitting out a walkthrough practice held offsite was linebacker Marquel Lee (toe). Those who were limited included Hudson (ankle), right guard Gabe Jackson (knee), cornerback Nevin Lawsom (biceps), safety Dallin Leavitt (elbow), wide receiver Hunter Renfrow (ribs), linebacker Kyle Wilber (ankle) and cornerback Daryl Worley (neck).
• It’s been a rough go for place kicker Daniel Carlson of late with seven unsuccessful place kicks in his last seven games (five field goal attempts, two extra point attempts, one of which was blocked). Gruden backed Carlson publicly at his Monday press conference, saying he expected the place kicker to “kick himself out of it” and also did it in front of the entire team.
“It means a lot coming from him, Carlson said. “He’s seen a lot of football. For him to have the faith and say that in front of the team in our team meeting, that helps too. I think a lot of these guys believe in me, but for him to say that in front of everyone, that’s nice that he has my back.”
Carlson said he’s trying to analyze his issues without over-analyzing them.
“You want to make adjustments, but if you overadjust you’ll get away with what you’ve done in the past that’s been successful,” Carlson said. “There’s a fine line.”
• Eric Tomlinson joined the Raiders a week ago and was on the field with the starters in his first and last game at the Coliseum.
“First game as a Raider, last game in Oakland, that’s pretty awesome,” Tomlinson said.
A four-year veteran out of Texas-El Paso, Tomlinson was signed after Moreau went on injured reserve with a knee injury sustained against Tennessee. He joins Darren Waller and Derek Carrier (6-foot-6, 263 pounds) and has the size to be an in-line blocker when Waller and/ or Carrier are flexed.
“Eric Tomlinson played 20 snaps, I just met him,” Gruden said.
Tomlinson said he’s been getting plenty of help from Waller, Carrier and tight ends coach Frank Smith.
“It’s a very close-knit group and made me feel like family right off the bat, helping me every way I need,” Tomlinson said. “I’ve loved it here so far.”
• Gruden said he has a lot of respect for the Chargers rivalry, but that it’s changed somewhat given the temporary move to Carson. The Chargers and Rams will move to a new stadium in Inglewood next season.
“It’s a little different than it used to be playing at the old San Diego Chargers stadium,” Gruden said. “You’re playing at a venue that really is a temporary venue for them. I’ve got a lot of respect for this rivalry wherever we play it, but California football right now is in limbo. The 49ers moved, we’re moving, Chargers moved, Rams moved, so there’s a lot of moving parts, but I enjoy playing this matchup. Always have.”