Henry Ruggs III limps off with apparent leg injury (Video)

Henry Ruggs was off to a fast start against the Panthers, but the Raiders wide receiver limped off the field in the second quarter due to injury.

The Raiders spent a first round pick on Henry Ruggs because of his electric speed. He showed off plenty of that talent in the team’s opener against the Panthers, but an injury during the second quarter cut the former Alabama star’s NFL debut short.

Fellow rookie Jeremy Chinn tackled Ruggs near the right sideline and the speedy wide receiver immediately clutched at his left leg in obvious pain. Raiders’ officials provided him on-field treatment before working with him extensively on the team’s sideline.

It’s a disappointing blow for a Raiders offense that clearly made Ruggs a focal point of their game plan against Carolina. He’d already been given an opportunity to run several deep routes against Carolina’s inexperienced secondary. More importantly, Las Vegas’ coaching staff also made concerted efforts to get the ball in his hands on the edge. Short passes and end around could make Ruggs more valuable as the season goes along.

Unfortunately, Ruggs was taken to the team’s locker room in advance of half time for further testing. It appears to be an injury to his left ankle, but no official comment has been made at this time. Stay tuned for further updates on the exciting Raiders rookie.