Oakland Raiders left tackle Jared Veldheer has been told that he will need surgery on his torn left triceps, potentially ruling him out for the entire season.
Veldheer has been struggling with the injury throughout pre-season training and decided to have the surgery following a second MRI scan earlier this week.
Raiders coach Dennis Allen admits that the news is a big blow to his side, but is keen for them to deal with it ahead of the upcoming season.
"It's a disappointment for all of us, but again we're going to play 16 games this year," Allen told The AP.
"The teams that are able to push through those things mentally, those are the teams that have success. Everybody has injuries. That's one we'll just have to deal with."
Allen is hopeful that Veldheer will be able to play some part in the upcoming season, although he won't know the full extent of the recovery time until after the surgery.