Holy smokes, you gotta see this: the Chargers just dropped their biggest injury report of the young season on Wednesday afternoon, and it is an absolute nightmare. We’re talking 17 total players listed, and that’s not even counting Khalil Mack, who just got his weekly veteran’s day off. This is bad, like, really bad for their Week 5 matchup against Denver.
Seven Key Guys DNP and the Lineup is Shaking
The real gut punch here is the seven players who didn’t participate in practice on Wednesday, again, not counting Mack. We’re talking some serious talent out there. Offensive tackle Joe Alt is dealing with a neck issue, guard Kayode Awosika is out with a fibula problem, and cornerback Donte Jackson has a hamstring. Then you’ve got safety Derwin James with a hamstring, Ladd McConkey sidelined by a foot injury, guard Trevor Penning with a concussion, and tackle Rashawn Slater suffering from an ankle. What’s even crazier? Six of those seven are starters. Penning has been forced into starting action himself the past two weeks because of *other* injuries up front. Their offensive line is getting absolutely hammered right now, and losing McConkey is a huge blow to their passing game. How do you even prepare for a game when that many core guys are out of commission?
Still More Players Battling to Get Back on the Field
And if you thought that was it, nah, there are still ten more players on that injury report who were limited participants to start the week. That group includes fullback Scott Matlock with a foot issue and Branson Taylor, who’s got a neck problem, both of whom just had their 21-day practice windows activated. That’s a good sign for eventually getting them back, but they’re not full-go yet. Plus, there are some other notable guys trying to work their way back from injuries they’ve been dealing with for weeks: defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson is battling a hamstring, tight end Charlie Kolar has a forearm issue, and receiver Brenen Thompson is nursing a quadricep. It’s a revolving door of injuries for this squad, and it has to be a major headache trying to keep any kind of consistency.
This Week 5 game against Denver is suddenly looking like a massive uphill battle for the Chargers. With so many key players either out or limited, you have to wonder how much firepower they’ll have.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bolts from the Blue.
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