Otito Ogbonnia injury – Syndication Server

Chargers DT Otito Ogbonnia working way back from knee injury

Otito Ogbonnia was spotted at practice on Tuesday working off to the side with a trainer.

It’s been nearly since Chargers defensive tackle Otito Ogbonnia last touched a football field.

Ogbonnia, the 2022 fifth-round pick out of UCLA, missed Los Angeles’ final 11 games last year after suffering a ruptured left patellar tendon during Week 7 against the 49ers.

As a result, Ogbonnia began this season on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list. Now that four games have passed, he is eligible to be activated off the list.

It remains to be seen when that time will come, but Ogbonnia was spotted at practice on Tuesday working off to the side with a trainer, according to NFL Media’s Bridget Condon.

It’s very encouraging to hear. Getting Ogbonnia back would give the Chargers a boost on the defensive line.

While he may not have stood out on the stat sheet, with 14 tackles and a tackle for loss in seven games in 2022, Ogbonnia was a reliable run defender by penetrating the backfield to cause havoc and occupying double teams.

We will continue to monitor the status of Ogbonnia.

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.

Otito Ogbonnia questionable to return vs. 49ers with knee injury

The Chargers’ defensive line is getting thinner.

Rookie Otito Ogbonnia was injured on Los Angeles’ first defensive drive and has been ruled questionable to return. Ogbonnia appeared to suffer a non-contact injury to his knee while fighting to stop Christian McCaffrey on the goal line. He was eventually carted back to the locker room after being unable to place much weight on the injured leg.

Ogbonnia was starting Sunday in place of Austin Johnson, who suffered a season-ending knee injury last week against the Falcons. L.A. also waived Jerry Tillery on Friday after rumors of locker room tension between the former first-round pick and coaching staff surfaced.

With Ogbonnia injured, the Chargers have Sebastian Joseph-Day, Morgan Fox, Christian Covington, and Breiden Fehoko available on the defensive line for the remainder of this game.