HENDERSON, Nevada – The Las Vegas Raiders will face the Baltimore Ravens at Monday’s season opener at Allegiant Stadium with an unproven offensive line and after four-time Pro Bowl left fielder Richie Incognito was ruled out Saturday with an injury to the right calf.
Incognito, 38, suffered the injury in a joint practice with the Los Angeles Rams on August 19 and has not practiced it since. He will be replaced by John Simpson, selected in the fourth round of 2020 who appeared in seven games and started two, with both starting as a left-back.
“It’s a good young prospect,” Raiders coach Jon Gruden said of Simpson. “We’re looking forward to seeing our line. We know we have four new starters compared to last year right now, but we have some players with really big advantages and that will be a big test for them.”
After a season that saw Las Vegas change center Rodney Hudson, right guard Gabe Jackson and right fielder Trent Brown – and with the injury to Incognito – the Raiders’ starting offensive line will be: the attack left Kolton Miller (a first 2018) round selection with 46 professional outings), left scout Simpson (two outings), center Andre James (first NFL outing in the center), right scout Denzelle Good (16 outings right) and striker right Alex Leatherwood (the Raiders’ 2021 first round) selector, who will make his NFL debut).
Raiders offensive coordinator Greg Olson said Simpson was the “strongest player on our team, when he rehearsed, when he came back” on the training ground.
“He’s had a lot of experience and reps because of Richie’s injury,” Olson said. “So we’re comfortable with it. And again, we’ve talked about the depth we have inside and it’s provided us with great depth and now it provides us with a headline.”
Gruden, meanwhile, said Incognito, who was named team captain at the end of training camp, was “improving” and thought he might be ready for the Week 2 game for the Pittsburgh Steelers. .
“But for now,” Gruden said, “we’ll let him go and hope for the best.”
The incognito suffered an end-of-season Achilles tendon injury last week in season 2. He has played at least 12 snapshots in just 13 of 32 games since signing with the Raiders.