Oakland Raiders offensive tackle Menelik Watson suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon during the team's 30-23 preseason loss to the Arizona Cardinals at the O.co Coliseum on Sunday and will more likely miss the entire season, according to ESPN.

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The 26-year-old Manchester, England native was escorted off the field hobbling on one foot after one of Oakland's failed offensive series. The injury was initially thought of as only an ankle sprain, but following doctor's tests after the game, it was confirmed to be an "Achilles rupture" that would require surgery to repair.

The diagnosis meant that Watson would have to wait until next year to finally get the starting job that he so longed for all these time.

The former Florida State standout was supposed to officially be the Raiders' starting left tackle this year after he started nine out of the 12 games he had played last season, his second in the league, and three of five during his rookie year for head coach Jack Del Rio.

"That's a tough break for us," said Del Rio. "It's really unfortunate. He was having a great camp for us."

Watson was still in high spirits after learning the extent of his injury and even tweeted to the Raiders' fans and his followers that he "will be back stronger than ever" next season, as reported by the United Press International. "That's a promise," he added.

The 2012 ACC champion was picked 42nd overall in the second round by Oakland in 2013. He played 17 games for the Raiders in his career before this first major setback.

Watson was brimming with potential when the Cardinals drafted him out of Florida State back in 2013. He was standing 6-foot-5 and weighing 315 pounds and was considered perfect for Derek Carr's offensive line. However, he only played two seasons of college football at that time for the Seminoles which means he is going to be a long-term project.

He slowly adapted to the professional game and had played only five times during his rookie season, mainly serving as a practice player for most of the year.

NBC Sports' Pro Football Talk indicated that Oakland's Austin Howard will temporarily fill-in for Watson's starting right tackle spot. However, if Howard plays exceptionally this season, Watson's starting role dream may yet again be delayed.

TagsNFL, NFL 2015, NFL news, NFL News 2015, NFL rumors, NFL Rumors 2015, Menelik Watson, Oakland Raiders