ALAMEDA – LaMont Jordan and Dominic Rhodes might be preparing for a two-game audition for their new teams.
Starting tailback Justin Fargas likely is out for the rest of the season with a sprained medial collateral ligament in his right knee that coach Lane Kiffin said Monday "probably" won't need surgery.
Fargas took over for Jordan in Week 9 and topped 1,000 yards for the season in the Raiders' 21-14 loss to the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday.
Whoever is at running back will take handoffs from quarterbacks Josh McCown and JaMarcus Russell. McCown will start, but Russell will play, too, Kiffin said.
Without Fargas, whose hard running carried the offense and inspired teammates, the Raiders will turn to the two backs whose futures with the team are clouded at best.
How they play could determine whether the Raiders bring them back next season. Of the two, Rhodes is more likely to return.
Jordan asked for his release after being deactivated for the Raiders' Nov. 18 loss at Minnesota.
Rhodes was signed as a free agent in the offseason, but whether he returns is also uncertain. He replaced Fargas in Sunday's game.
Though Rhodes and Jordan would have liked it, the Raiders didn't release either player to prevent them from landing with division rivals Kansas City or Denver.
Both have been inactive when the Raiders needed to have an extra special-teams player.
Kiffin didn't have a plan as to how he would use either this weekend at Jacksonville.
"We'll let them battle it out this week and … figure out who's starting and we'll figure out how we'll divide playing time, as well," Kiffin said.
Jordan was off to the best start of his career before his balky back acted up in Week 4 in Miami.
Jordan had rushed for 424 yards on 84 carries and two touchdowns this season before leaving the Miami game just before halftime. He has 125 yards on 60 carries in seven games with a touchdown since. Jordan hasn't played in three games since Fargas took over and was inactive Sunday. He also suited up for the Raiders' game against Chicago on Nov. 11 but didn't play.
Rhodes missed the first four games because of an NFL suspension after pleading guilty to reckless driving following his offseason arrest for driving while intoxicated. His playing time also has been sporadic since. He has 19 carries for 65 yards all season, 41 of those yards coming on seven attempts in relief of Fargas on Sunday. Rhodes has been inactive for two games (vs. Denver, at Green Bay) and has been used as a kick returner most of the season.
"I thought he made a couple of guys miss yesterday and really battled and ran hard," Kiffin said of Rhodes' play against the Colts. "He really had practiced well the last couple of weeks and done well."
Read Jason Jones' Raiders blog at www.sacbee.com/blogs.
