Raiders OC Greg Olson won’t coach vs Chargers for COVID-19 reasons

The Las Vegas Raiders will be without their offensive coordinator for Thursday night’s game against the Los Angeles Chargers.

Entering Thursday night, the Las Vegas Raiders are on the outside looking in in regards to the AFC playoff picture. That’s thanks in part to the proverbial egg they laid this past Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts. Not only are the Raiders short four defensive starters and rookie wide receiver Henry Ruggs III in their contest against the rival Los Angeles Chargers, but also a key coach.

According to reports, Raiders offensive coordinator Greg Olson will not be available to coach due to COVID-related reasons. With Olson absent, the Raiders offensive staff will collectively fill in for him.

Raiders enter a must-win game shorthanded

Olson joined the Raiders in 2018 after Jon Gruden was signed to a 10-year contract to be the head coach of the team. Olson and Gruden had previously worked together back in 2008, when Gruden was the head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Olson was the quarterbacks coach.

With Olson at the helm, the Raiders ranked 14th in total offense (369.3 total yards per game), 14th in passing offense (251.4), 12th in rushing offense (117.9) and 11th in average points (26.9).

As mentioned earlier, the Raiders will be without Ruggs after he was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list on Tuesday. The four defensive starters are all out with injuries, and they include defensive lineman Clelin Ferrell (shoulder), safety Johnathan Abram (concussion), cornerback Damon Arnette (concussion/neck) and linebacker Nicholas Morrow (concussion).

Additionally, this will be the first game the Raiders will have Rod Marinelli as their interim defensive coordinator after the team fired Paul Guenther hours after their loss to the Colts.

For the Raiders to even consider getting in the playoffs, they’ll have to win their final three games of the season, and that includes their matchup against the Chargers. Based off their inactives on the roster and the absence of Olson, they’ll have a large hill to climb to accomplish that feat.