The Las Vegas Raiders were down several key players in Week 5 against the Indianapolis Colts due to injuries, but one starter didn’t travel with the team for non-injury-related reasons. Just before the team traveled to Indianapolis, it was revealed that starting linebacker Germaine Pratt was ruled out.
The Raiders didn’t give any reason as to why he didn’t travel with the team, and head coach Pete Carroll didn’t offer much clarity after the loss. When asked about why Pratt didn’t play, Carroll said they “decided to go with the other guys.”
If the linebacker was dealing with a serious personal matter that required him to be away from the team, it’s hard to imagine that’s what Carroll would say. Pratt has been really solid for the Raiders this season and is their best coverage linebacker.
Considering they gave up 40 points to the Colts, it’s safe to say that they could’ve used his help. However, based on Carroll’s comments, it sounds like there’s a chance that Pratt may have already played his last game with the team. There was a lot of speculation about Pratt following Carroll’s comments.
Are Raiders & Pratt Headed for Breakup?
Pratt was a later addition in the offseason, but he did enough to earn a starting spot. It’s not like he hasn’t been playing well. Some fans think that Carroll’s comments are foreshadowing a potential move to cut Pratt.
“This sounds like a cut could be happening here. Odd response,” one fan commented.
Other fans think that Pratt may have an issue with Carroll, which led to the team not having him travel.
“Is Pete losing the locker room?” another fan wrote.
“I thought it was like a family issue. Youre telling me Pete just has beef with pratt now?” a fan commented.
Regardless, it certainly sounds like there’s more to the story that hasn’t been reported on yet.
Raiders Could Be Headed Toward Disaster
The Raiders were a very bad team last season, but they somehow seem to be even worse under Carroll. Even when the team was healthy, they weren’t playing very well.
Now, this is Carroll’s first season, and there are a lot of new pieces for the Raiders. Rebuilding a team takes time, but it feels like they’re headed in the wrong direction.
They have a winnable game against the Tennessee Titans in Week 6, but they play the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 7. A 2-5 or 1-6 record is looking very possible right now. Carroll is having a hard time coping with how disappointing the Raiders are right now.
“I’m processing it poorly because I did expect to win right out of the chute,” Carroll said. “What I’m seeing and what I’m feeling is I know by the way we’re working because I’ve watched a lot of teams work and develop (the) system, your belief in it, knowing you can count on and who you can trust and all of that. … That is ongoing, and it feels like we’re going in a good direction, in that sense. It’s just not showing up here. It’s going to start sometime, and then I’m just waiting for that moment where we kick it in.”
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