Oakland Raiders receiver Amari Cooper is facing an uphill battle to play in Week 13. He has to overcome two significant ailments.
The first is obvious. After being knocked out and carted off of the field in Week 12, Cooper has to clear the concussion protocol. But per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Cooper sprained his ankle on the same play.
On the play he suffered a concussion Sunday, Raiders WR Amari Cooper also sprained his ankle, per source. To play Sunday vs. Giants, Cooper will have to clear concussion protocol and recover from sprained ankle.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 27, 2017
The good news for Oakland is the opponent. The New York Giants are 2-9 and have a rash of injuries of their own. Objectively, the Raiders should beat that team, especially at home. But depending on the severity of the injury, a sprained ankle could limit Cooper for weeks to come. That’s not something that Oakland can afford.
While it’s been an up-and-down season for Cooper, his absence would certainly be felt by the Raiders. Cooper is tied for the team lead with 42 receptions, third with 499 receiving yards, and second with five touchdown receptions.