Entering the Las Vegas Raiders’ Week 15 game against the Atlanta Falcons, one of the best storylines was the emergence of Raiders running back Sincere McCormick, an undrafted player who recently took over as Las Vegas’ RB1. However, McCormick exited the Monday Night Football contest with an injury. Here’s the latest on McCormick.
What Happened to Sincere McCormick?
McCormick had a leaping catch in the first half, but his ankle was rolled up on. Shortly after this play, the running back limped to the locker room and he was moving very gingerly.
Sincere McCormick limping to the locker room after having his ankle rolled up on, on the carry after his leaping catch. Looks very questionable to return #LiveReporting pic.twitter.com/aZMVOiFEOU
— Nick Firestone (@Nick_Firestone) December 17, 2024
McCormick was initially designated as questionable to return with an ankle injury, but he was ruled out in the second half. The broadcast noted that the injury didn’t look good.
When he exited the contest, McCormick had seven carries for just eight yards while also catching two passes for 17 yards.
In recent weeks, McCormick was a bright spot for the Raiders’ offense, rushing 32 times for 175 times (5.5 yards per carry). This was huge for Las Vegas, who average by far the fewest rushing yards per game in the NFL (79.1).
This is another significant blow to Las Vegas’ depleted offense.
Who Will Step Up In McCormick’s Absence?
The Raiders were undoubtedly committed to McCormick as their lead back. Head coach Antonio Pierce confirmed that this was not going to be a timeshare, even with Alexander Mattison returning from his own injury.
Mattison took a big hit early and lost a fumble, but he was able to return. He will serve as the lead back for the remainder of the game, with Ameer Abdullah playing on passing downs.
If McCormick can’t play next week, whoever starts for the Raiders will be a really interesting option for those in need of a running back, as they play the Jacksonville Jaguars’ bottom-ranked run defense.
Depending on health, the hierarchy would be McCormick — Mattison — Abdullah.
— PFN’s Fantasy Analyst Jason Katz
