NFL Week 2: Oakland Raiders DB Gareon Conley likely to play after scary Week 1 injury

Oakland Raiders defensive back Gareon Conley was carted off on a gurney during his team's Week 1 victory over the Denver Broncos. While it was clear in relatively short order that Conley thankfully avoided serious, long-term injury to his neck, the news out of Oakland is even better than originally anticipated. Conley, a first-round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, is on track to play against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 2. 

Raiders defensive coordinator Paul Guenther told NFL.com that Conley is "good to go" less than a week after the injury took place. Beyond that, Conley reflected on what transpired against the Broncos. 

"It was scary," Conley told NBC Sports Bay Area on Friday. "I didn't want to get up initially, but I knew I was good once some time passed. After a while, my neck didn't really hurt."

"That's more scary for my family," Conley continued when asked about the impact of being carted off and taken to the hospital. "I don't want my family to think it's something more than what it is … But I understand (the trainers') side, too. It was just precautionary, so I just followed the instructions."

The Raiders face an uphill battle in their second game, with our without Conley in the defensive backfield. Oakland is currently a 7-point home underdog against Patrick Mahomes and the high-powered Chiefs offense, but the return of Conley both stabilizes the team's defense while providing a positive story in the wake of a scary situation. 

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