Chargers injuries – Page 3 – Syndication Server

Chargers TE Donald Parham expected to return for Week 15 vs. Titans

Chargers HC Brandon Staley provided some good news on Wednesday.

Chargers head coach Brandon Staley provided some good news on Wednesday.

Staley said that tight end Donald Parham would return to live-game action this Sunday when they take on the Titans.

Parham was designated to return from injured reserve and started practicing again last Wednesday.

Parham went on injured reserve on November 5 with a hamstring injury, the same issue that forced him to miss most of training camp and the first four games to start the season.

Parham has played only two games this season, making three catches for 53 yards.

Getting Parham back is a big deal for the Bolts, as he provides another weapon in the passing game – nearly 20% of his career receptions have resulted in touchdowns.

In addition, his ability to seal blocks on the edge should aid a struggling run offense that ranks 31st in the NFL.

Chargers injuries: Positive news on Rashawn Slater, Joey Bosa

Joey Bosa and Rashawn Slater could be returning to the action this season.

Chargers head coach Brandon Staley had encouraging updates on offensive tackle Rashawn Slater and edge defender Joey Bosa as they work their way back from their perspective injuries.

Slater is currently on the injured reserve with a biceps injury, which he sustained in Week 3 against the Jaguars.

Staley said Slater is “weeks away,” but “there is a potential for him to return.”

While Slater has been sidelined, rookie Jamaree Salyer has been the starting left tackle. Getting Slater back would be a massive boost for an offensive line that’s struggled this season.

On the other side of the ball, Bosa has been sidelined since Week 3 when he sustained a groin injury, which he then had surgery on.

When asked about Bosa returning, Staley responded, “Anything’s possible.”

Staley added that Bosa could potentially return to the practice field this week ahead of Los Angeles’ matchup with the Titans.

Getting Bosa back would be huge, as he and Khalil Mack were wreaking havoc before he went down. In two games, Bosa recorded ten quarterback pressures, two tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks.

Chargers’ Derwin James not practicing for second consecutive day

Derwin James could be in danger of not playing Sunday night against the Dolphins.

James, who is dealing with a quad injury, was not present on the practice field for a second consecutive day.

James had a hip injury the week prior leading up to the matchup with the Raiders.

Also not practicing for the second straight day were Sebastian Joseph-Day (knee) and Trey Pipkins (knee).

Bryce Callahan, who was limited on Wednesday with a groin injury, was not a participant on Thursday.

Los Angeles could be getting some reinforcements back in Mike Williams and Corey Linsley, as they were full participants after being limited.

Williams has missed the past two games with a knee injury, which he aggravated in the Week 11 loss to the Chiefs.

Linsley missed Week 13 due to a concussion he sustained in Week 12 against the Cardinals.

The Chargers have one more practice on Friday before the final injury designations are released.

Chargers’ Otito Ogbonnia, Christian Covington out for season

The Chargers have gotten even thinner along the interior part of the defensive line.

Rookie defensive tackle Otito Ogbonnia (patellar tendon) and veteran Christian Covington (pectoral) were ruled out for the season after suffering injuries Sunday night against San Francisco.

Ogbonnia’s injury was initially thought to be a knee issue, as it looked like he had suffered a non-contact injury while defending a goal line run play in the second quarter. Covington injured his pectoral in the fourth quarter.

It’s a big loss for Los Angeles, who had rotated the two players on Sunday after losing Austin Johnson for the season last week against the Falcons.

Ogbonnia had played 46% of the defensive snaps against Atlanta, his second-highest mark of the season, and was in line to play more on Sunday. Covington played 48% of the snaps on Sunday before getting injured after playing 64% against Atlanta last week.

The rookie from UCLA had 14 tackles with a tackle for loss in seven games this season. Covington had 12 tackles with a tackle for loss in four games.

Without Covington or Ogbonnia in the lineup, the Chargers were down to just three defensive linemen against San Francisco: Sebastian Joseph-Day, Morgan Fox, and Breiden Fehoko.

They remain the only three healthy defensive linemen on the roster, with Joe Gaziano and rookie Christopher Hinton on the practice squad.

Studs and duds from Chargers’ 22-16 loss to 49ers

Here’s who showed up and who disappointed in the Chargers’ loss to the 49ers.

The Chargers fell to the 49ers on Sunday Night Football, dropping to 5-4 after a 22-16 loss. While the first half was an encouraging display, the second half brought disappointment and, ultimately, defeat.

Here’s who encouraged and who disappointed on Sunday.

Stud: Justin Herbert

I don’t care that Herbert threw the game-sealing interception, especially because his arm was hit by 49ers defensive lineman Charles Omenihu as he tried to throw the ball. The fact of the matter is that the face of the franchise built upon his momentum from last week and looked like the quarterback we’re used to seeing in powder blue. I counted no fewer than four spectacular throws in the first half to keep the ball moving downfield. And yes, that performance didn’t carry into the second half. But there are reasons for that, namely that the Chargers couldn’t keep their extra blockers in to chip San Francisco’s rushers as they got into more and more obvious passing situations. Bottom line: Herbert is on the right track, and his showing against one of the league’s best defenses is encouraging.

Dud: Bryce Callahan

Callahan has played well this season, and in fairness to him, this has more to do with how Chargers corners have played coverage this season than anything Callahan is doing in particular. In general, LA has played extremely soft coverage, especially in third-down situations. But of the three main corners (Asante Samuel Jr., Michael Davis, and Callahan), the veteran has struggled the most to click and close on receivers to make stops in those situations, which today resulted in a few extra conversions the Chargers could not afford to give up. Callahan was also in position to make a big tackle for loss in the fourth quarter but got caught just enough by 49ers receiver Brandon Aiyuk to force him out of the play.

Stud: Khalil Mack

Mack is pushing the pocket and disrupting opponents’ timing even without anyone on the defensive line to help him out. Late in the third quarter, Mack came up with a crucial first down sack to put the 49ers behind the sticks, then followed it up with another pressure on 2nd and 20 to force an incompletion. Earlier in the quarter, the former All-Pro also got to the outside and erased a swing pass before it could get going. It was a microcosm of Mack’s season: elite play after elite play after elite play in the passing game. With his seventh sack of the year, he also climbed into the top ten of the league leaderboard.

Dud: Finishing ability

With 6:42 left in the second quarter, the Chargers led this game 13-3. Herbert and the offense were marching up and down the field while the defense was bending but not breaking, as San Francisco failed to convert. For the rest of the game, LA was outscored 19-3 by the 49ers, who found a rhythm running the ball and had Jimmy Garoppolo and Brandon Aiyuk make enough plays to keep the passing game moving. Even as Los Angeles got into advantageous positions, they couldn’t finish the drive: after Aiyuk fumbled in the first quarter, the Bolts went three and out before kicking a field goal. Later in the second quarter, after L.A. blocked a punt, the Chargers had a nine-play drive stall inside the ten and settled for another field goal. San Francisco simply played a better second half than Los ANgeles did on Sunday night, adding to the theme of the Chargers being unable to put teams away.

Stud: Chippers

Especially in the first half, L.A. seemed to have the answers for San Francisco’s pass rush, mostly around keeping both a tight end and running back in the formation to chip edge rushers and help Jamaree Salyer and Foster Sarell. As the game continued, the Chargers had to spread the formation out, leaving their tackles on an island and resulting in what felt like constant pressure on Herbert in the second half. That difference was palpable, and it speaks to the performance of Austin Ekeler, Isaiah Spiller, Gerald Everett, and Tre’ McKitty as those block and release players early on.

Dud: First down runs

We’ve spoken at length about Joe Lombardi’s creativity or lack thereof this season, but I’ve always been on his side as far as the run game scheme is concerned because there has at least been some semblance of new ideas in that department. Tonight, however, Lombardi dialed up a run on 8 of the Chargers’ 22 first downs, gaining an average of one yard with a long of two yards. To be fair to Lombardi, some of that does fall on personnel: it’s hard to run the ball effectively when you’re down to your backup left and right tackles going up against the best-run defense in the league. But all game, the Chargers could not generate any sort of momentum running the ball on first down, and it put them behind the sticks and forced Herbert to bail drives out with heroic plays on second and third and longs.

Stud: Special teams

If you’ve followed any of my work, you know I’m always the first one to give credit to special teams. The Chargers capitalized on an imperfect snap exchange between Taybor Pepper and Mitch Wishnowsky that resulted in the 49ers’ punter turning the ball over before kicking it, giving Nick Niemann time to block the kick and give the Chargers the ball on the San Francisco 46-yard line. Third-string kicker Cameron Dicker stayed perfect in his NFL career with three field goals and an extra point. I thought JK Scott could have been a bit better, and the kickoff return unit still needs tinkering, but by and large, the special teams unit continues to be the only one getting its job done for all 60 minutes week in and week out. Kudos to them.

Dud: Injury curses

It’s just ridiculous at this point. The Chargers have tried replacing their training staff. They’ve tried to implement carryover policies from Brandon Staley’s time with the Rams when they were one of the healthiest teams in the league. They’ve tried moving the entire team an hour and a half up the 5! Nothing works; this team attracts injuries like a wounded animal attracts vultures. Otito Ogbonnia, the rookie we were so excited about that we cut Jerry Tillery to give him more playing time? Couldn’t put any weight on his knee. Christian Covington, his replacement? Pectoral injury. Gerald Everett, Justin Herbert’s only target who hadn’t been injured yet? Groin problems. LA finished this game missing their RB2, WR1, WR2, WR4, TE1, TE2, LT1, RT1, DL2, DL4, DL5, EDGE1, EDGE3, CB1, K1, and K2. LB2 Kenneth Murray also missed time being evaluated for a concussion. Walk down the street tomorrow and see if anyone you know can name a Chargers player not named Austin Ekeler that hasn’t gotten injured this season. Spoiler: they can’t.

Chargers CB J.C. Jackson out for remainder of season

The Chargers will be without its big-ticket free-agent pickup for the remainder of the season.

Jackson sustained a ruptured patellar tendon in Sunday’s loss to the Seahawks and will be sidelined for the remainder of the season, Brandon Staley said on Monday.

Jackson went to the ground with what appeared to be a non-contact leg injury while covering Marquise Goodwin late in the second quarter. He was carted off the field in an air cast and did not return.

Jackson signed a five-year, $82.5 million with the Chargers. He missed the season opener after having ankle surgery on Aug. 23. When he did return to the field, Jackson struggled.

Entering Week 7, Jackson had been targeted 23 times while allowing 17 receptions for 331 yards and three touchdowns. He had yet to intercept a pass and was credited with just a single pass breakup.

In Jackson’s absence, Michael Davis will start as the boundary corner opposite Asante Samuel Jr.

Injury updates on Chargers’ Mike Williams, Chris Rumph II

Brandon Staley provided an update on Mike Williams and Chris Rumph on Monday.

The Chargers were hit with a few injuries during the Week 7 loss to the Seahawks.

The most notable was cornerback J.C. Jackson, who suffered a ruptured patellar tendon, and as a result, will miss the remainder of the season.

But Jackson wasn’t the only player who sustained an injury throughout the game.

Wide receiver Mike Williams suffered a high ankle sprain and will miss “weeks, not days,” according to Brandon Staley. Staley did not put a specific timeframe on Williams’ return.

Edge defender Chris Rumph II also got hurt late in the game and was diagnosed with an MCL sprain. As a result, Rumph will be out for weeks.

The Chargers are on a bye week this Sunday, allowing players who are banged up to heal. The injury bug has bit Los Angeles hard this season, so that time should be valuable.

Studs and duds from Chargers’ Week 3 loss to Jaguars

Here’s who helped and hurt the Chargers in their Week 3 loss to the Jaguars.

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The Chargers suffered one of the more frustrating losses in recent memory, allowing the Jaguars to beat them in California for the first time in franchise history and end a road win drought that extends to before the pandemic.

Jacksonville dominated Los Angeles from start to finish, and while I’m of the opinion that the Jaguars are a legitimately good football team, there’s still plenty to criticize on LA’s side.

Here’s who earned the brunt of that criticism, along with the bright spots:

Stud: Justin Herbert

Given the circumstances, I probably would’ve named Herbert a stud simply for making it through the entire game. While the stat line was uglier than normal – 22/39 for 278 yards, one touchdown, and one interception – Herbert still made some of the extraterrestrial plays we’re used to seeing from him when fully healthy. His strike to Jalen Guyton for a gain of 54 yards was one of the best throws we’ve seen from him. Especially after Rashawn Slater went down at left tackle, Herbert was consistently forced to escape the pocket to make plays and did so. If this is what we get from Herbert while he recovers from the rib injury, the Chargers should at least have a chance going forward.

Dud: Chris Rumph II

After Joey Bosa went down with a groin injury, it seemed like this was the time for Rumph to show that his preseason was no fluke. And yet, while Rumph did show some flashes here and there, today’s game was marked more by the sight of #94 on the ground and gashing runs to his side of the field. It seems like the second-year edge rusher may still not have the power and mass to be an every-down player in the NFL, and to be fair to him, he wasn’t expected to be. But if he’s the next guy up with Bosa out, he needs to be a significantly better run defender at the very least.

Stud: Derwin James

James has, unsurprisingly, been one of the Chargers’ best and most consistent players through three weeks. After powerbombing Travis Kelce last Thursday, James continued his reign of terror against Jacksonville. Every tackle the All-Pro made looked like his opponent had run into a concrete wall, not to mention James making life difficult for Trevor Lawrence as a blitzer. James also performed well in coverage, as he was the one that had the most success on Jaguars primary receiver Christian Kirk.

Dud: Mike Williams

Bottom line: the Chargers need more out of Williams than 1 catch for 15 yards, even if that catch was a beautiful toe-tap in the end zone. With Keenan Allen out of this game, it’s reasonable to assume that Williams drew more bracket coverage and double teams than he would normally. But Los Angeles isn’t paying him $20 million a season to not be able to get open in those situations. When Williams is on, he’s an absolute menace as a jump ball threat. But when he’s off, LA struggles to move the ball. Today was the latter.

Stud: Asante Samuel Jr.

Samuel’s performance today has me questioning what the coaching staff thinks they’re accomplishing by yo-yoing players on the depth chart. There’s really no reason why Michael Davis should have ever been taking game reps from Samuel as the presumed CB2 this preseason, and Samuel has proven that by coming out with his hair on absolute fire to start the season. The second-year corner is still giving up receptions, and that’s fine. But you can see his instincts developing to a near-otherworldly level in real time – go check out his PBU in the red zone early in the game. Once JC Jackson returns, this should be a top pass defense in the NFL.

Dud: Run game

Jacksonville bullied Los Angeles at the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball, opening lanes for James Robinson and company to rush for 151 yards on 36 carries while holding the Chargers to 26 yards on 12 attempts. We talked about the effect replacing Joey Bosa with Chris Rumph had on the run defense, but that’s really only part of the equation. LA also came out in dime package on the 4th-and-1 play where James Robinson ran for a 50-yard touchdown, a clear personnel mistake with Jacksonville in 13 personnel. On offense, the Chargers again abandoned the running game early, with Austin Ekeler finishing with four carries for five yards. Joshua Kelley was nowhere to be seen until garbage time after looking better than Sony Michel in the first two weeks. This team needs Isaiah Spiller to be the guy he was advertised as, and they need it quickly.

Stud: Khalil Mack

Mack was pretty routinely getting pressure before Bosa exited, and even after that, he managed to be fairly productive despite Jacksonville sliding their protections over to focus solely on him. He’s looked like the player the Chargers were hoping for when they traded a second-round pick for him this offseason, and it’s a positive sign that he was still able to get pressure without Bosa on the field. Also, just as an aside, it speaks to the quality of the team performance when Herbert, James, and Mack are all studs in this one and the team loses by 28 points.

Dud: Injury luck

This is classic Chargers football, really. You have one of the most talented rosters in the league on paper. You lose Keenan Allen and JC Jackson early. Hurtful, but not the end of the world. Corey Linsley and Justin Herbert suffer lingering injuries in Week 2 – a much rougher proposition. Then, in Week 3, you lose Joey Bosa (groin), Rashawn Slater (biceps), and Kenneth Murray Jr. (unclear). That’s six of the Chargers’ best eight or ten players, plus Murray, who’s looked improved in the first two weeks of the season. It’s an insanely unlucky run for a team that strongly emphasizes avoiding injury throughout Brandon Staley’s tenure. The depth has looked awful as well – we talked about Rumph earlier, Storm Norton had two holding penalties in a quarter and a half, and the wide receivers have struggled to get open. It’s so brutally early wishing for the bye week, but that seems to be the point we’re reaching.

First injury report for Chargers ahead of matchup vs. Raiders

The Los Angeles Chargers had two players who did not practice on Wednesday.

Looking to make the playoffs, the Chargers returned to work preparing for the Week 18 matchup against the Raiders.

Here is a look at Wednesday’s injury report:

The Chargers had two non-participants: edge defender Joe Gaziano and center Corey Linsley.

Linebacker Drue Tranquill was a limited participant.

Brandon Staley said they are going to be cautious with Linsley this week after he left last Sunday’s game against the Broncos with back tightness. If he can’t go, Scott Quessenberry will start in place of him this weekend.

In other related news, tight end Jared Cook and linebacker Kenneth Murray were removed from the COVID-19 list. The team does not have a player on the reserve list.

Chargers EDGE Kyler Fackrell undergoes procedure on knee, will miss Week 14 vs. Giants

Chargers edge defender Kyler Fackrell will miss this Sunday’s contest against the Giants.

Chargers edge defender Kyler Fackrell had to undergo a procedure on his knee to clean some stuff up. As a result, he will miss this weekend’s game against the Giants.

At Wednesday’s media availability, head coach Brandon Staley said he is hoping that it isn’t season-ending, and whether or not Fackrell is sent to the injured reserve is up in the air.

Signed this offseason, Fackrell has appeared in 12 games, logging 15 tackles, eight pressures, four quarterback hits, and two tackles for loss.

With Fackrell out at least this weekend, rookie Chris Rumph II should see an uptick in defensive snaps, and Los Angeles could look to promote from within the practice squad with someone like Emeke Egbule.