Alright, the Chargers dropped their final injury report for Week 1, and while it looks pretty clean overall, there’s one definite blow: cornerback Deane Leonard is officially OUT for Sunday’s game. That’s a bummer, man, because this dude is legit on special teams, and his absence is gonna be felt in a big way right out of the gate.
Special Teams Takes a Direct Hit
Look, Leonard missed the entire week of practice, so it’s not a huge surprise, but it doesn’t make it any easier to swallow. He’s listed as the team’s fourth cornerback, sure, but his real value, what he’s best at, is coverage on special teams. He’s the best they’ve got there. You know how crucial that third phase of the game is, especially early in the season when teams are still finding their rhythm. Losing your top coverage guy? That’s not ideal for Week 1, not at all. It means someone else is gonna have to step up and fill some big shoes immediately.
Tuli Tuipulotu’s Cautionary Start and the CB Shuffle
On top of Leonard being out, edge rusher Tuli Tuipulotu is listed as questionable with a hip issue. He was a limited participant in practice for most of the week. Honestly, you gotta be a little nervous about that, right? Hip injuries for an edge rusher are no joke, and it looks like the team is still being super cautious with him. He was dealing with a lower-body injury all through training camp, so they’re clearly not rushing anything. Hopefully, it’s just a Week 1 precaution.
With Leonard officially sidelined, the team’s gonna have to elevate someone to the game-day roster. The word is it’ll be either Nikko Reed or Kaiir Elam. My bet’s on Reed getting the nod because he’s got way more experience in O’Leary’s defense than Elam, who just joined the squad after final cuts at the beginning of the month. You want that experience when you’re filling a hole this important.
So, Sunday’s game against Arizona is gonna show us just how much that special teams hit hurts and if Tuli can even go. Who steps up for Leonard is huge, especially when you’re trying to set the tone for the entire season. Can’t wait to see how they respond!
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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