Jason Campbell will get his chance to put the Raiders in good old fashion AFC West division race this weekend. If he wins, he may even get to keep the starting quarterback job in Oakland.
Raiders coach Tom Cable announced Thursday that Campbell would start against the Chiefs. Bruce Gradkowski, who has been promised the job when healthy, still hasn’t recovered enough from his shoulder injury to start. It’s uncertain if he’ll be the No. 2 or No. 3 quarterback this week.
The Raiders love what Gradkowski brings to the table, but it’s worth considering how good he will really be when he returns. This isn’t a swollen knee; it’s a shoulder injury on a quarterback that already lacks arm strength. If Campbell can win a third straight start, he will be awfully hard to bench.
Gradkowski isn’t the only key Raider that’s hurt. Cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha missed practice again with his high ankle sprain, although Cable won’t rule him out yet. Tight end Zach Miller sat out with a foot injury, but is expected to play.