Tag: Otito Ogbonnia

Chargers’ Giff Smith on Sebastian Joseph-Day’s release: ‘It was in the best interest of the team’

Gift Smith was asked about the release of Sebastian Joseph-Day.

After being waived just a week ago, former Chargers defensive tackle Sebastian Joseph-Day agreed to terms on a one-year deal with the 49ers.

At the time of his signing, Joseph-Day indicated that he was thankful for his release and the opportunity to play with the Niners. But he decided to keep any comments on what wrong in Los Angeles to himself.

Chargers interim head coach Giff Smith was finally asked about the surprise release at his Friday media availability.

It was a situations where myself and JoJo [Wooden], just in talking really, the easiest way to say is that it was just in the best interest for the team. Other stuff I’d rather just keep in-house, but we wish him the best. I hope he does well in San Francisco and that everybody moves on.

Certainly, that quote puts to bed the idea that the two sides were amicable at the time of release. Some had speculated that Joseph-Day asked for his release in advance to join a contender. But clearly as demonstrated by the friction between the two sides, that’s not what had happened.

Joseph-Day was signed to a three-year deal in the 2022 offseason with the team in Brandon Staley’s first big spending splurge as head coach. Staley brought in a few of his “guys” over the year from previous stops in the NFL.

With a new general manager and coaching staff coming in for 2024, it was unlikely that Joseph-Day had much of a chance to remain on the team. Especially when weighing his current production with the team’s own cap situation. The most optimal time to make the move may have been now.

Scott Matlock, Otito Ogbonnia, and other members of the defensive tackle room will have an opportunity for an increased workload in Joseph-Day’s absence. That will start with the Broncos on Sunday and a Week 18 finale against the Chiefs.

Chargers final injury report: WR Joshua Palmer ruled out vs. Jets

The Chargers will be thin at the wide receiver position.

Joshua Palmer was ruled out for the Monday night game against the Jets.

Palmer is dealing with a knee injury he sustained in Week 7 against the Chiefs and aggravated last Sunday against the Bears. He did not log a practice during the week.

With Palmer out, rookie Quentin Johnston is positioned to be a top target alongside Keenan Allen. Johnston had five catches for 50 yards in Week 9.

The Chargers have six players questionable: Morgan Fox (oblique), Jalen Guyton (knee), Sebastian Joseph-Day (illness), Eric Kendricks (ribs), Kenneth Murray (shoulder) and Otito Ogbonnia (knee).

Brandon Staley commented on Guyton and Ogbonnia, who have yet to be activated off the PUP list, potentially making their return on Monday.

“We’re going to take the next 48 hours to determine that,” Staley said. “They had a full week of practice. Just going to talk about it as a coaching staff and figure it out between now and when we leave.”

Chargers Week 9 injury report: Who practiced, who didn’t on Thursday?

Jalen Guyton was a full participant.

The Chargers had their first practice in preparation for Monday night’s game against the Jets on Thursday.

Wide receiver Joshua Palmer was the only non-participant. Palmer was out with the knee injury he sustained in Week 7 against the Chiefs and reaggravated this past weekend against the Bears.

Defensive lineman Morgan Fox and linebacker Eric Kendricks were limited participants with oblique and rib injuries, respectively.

Wide receiver Jalen Guyton (knee) and defensive tackle Otito Ogbonnia (knee) were full participants. They are in their third week of practice since their 21-day activation window was opened.

Chargers Thursday Week 8 injury report vs. Bears: WR Joshua Palmer a non-participant

Joshua Palmer was a non-participant for the second consecutive day.

The Chargers had their second practice before Sunday’s matchup with the Bears on Thursday.

Joshua Palmer (knee) was a non-participant for the second consecutive day. Palmer was the only player that did not practice.

Jalen Guyton and Otito Ogbonnia logged their first full practice since their season-ending injuries in 2022.

Los Angeles opened the 21-day practice window for them last week.

After missing practice on Wednesday, Gerald Everett (hip) was a limited participant.

Other limited participants were Alohi Gilman (heel) and Deane Leonard (hamstring), both of whom missed the last three games with their respective injuries.

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 HC Brandon Staley on Austin Johnson’s return: ‘He’s ready to play’

The Chargers’ defense gets a boost with the return of Austin Johnson.

The Chargers were riddled with injuries last season, and one of the key losses was of defensive tackle Austin Johnson.

Johnson suffered a fractured knee and MCL injury in Los Angeles’ Week 9 win over the Falcons and spent the remainder of the 2022 season on injured reserve.

Johnson was activated from the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list after he passed his physical on Aug. 17.

“He’s ready to play,” Brandon Staley said. “He wouldn’t be active if we didn’t think that he could play. There’s probably going to be a certain amount of snaps that we kind of have projected for him. But he’s going to be full speed.”

Before he got hurt, Johnson was a cog in the middle of the defensive line. He was tied for the team lead in run stops with 14 and led the team in run stop percentage at 11.4%.

Having him back on the field will be vital as the Bolts look to improve their run defense from last season.

The Chargers finished 27th in the league, allowing 144.2 yards rushing per game. A lot of the damage came after Johnson and Otito Ogbonnia sustained their season-ending injuries.

Ogbonnia is still on the IR and will miss the first four games of the season as he continues to work his way back from his knee injury.

6 storylines to follow in Chargers’ preseason finale vs. 49ers

Be sure to keep an eye on these six storylines as the Chargers square off with the 49ers on Friday night.

The Chargers face off against the 49ers on Friday night before head coach Brandon Staley and company begin their trimming of the roster to 53 players next week.

Here are six storylines to watch for during Los Angeles’ final preseason matchup against San Francisco:

Chargers DT Scott Matlock developing into key depth piece

Scott Matlock has been a summer standout for the Chargers.

Rookie defensive tackle Scott Matlock, the Chargers’ sixth-round pick, has strung together a solid summer. He has stood out at training camp and has made eye-popping plays in the first two preseason games.

In the first game against the Rams, Matlock flashed his pass-rush skills, chasing down and pressuring quarterback Stetson Bennett, which resulted in an incomplete pass.

In the most recent preseason contest against the Saints, Matlock made a few notable plays, with the first being a tackle for loss. Later in the game, New Orleans set up a screen for running back Ellis Merriweather and Matlock used his range and effort to track him down in space.

“That screen play, you want to talk about a big-time play. He has been solid,” head coach Brandon Staley said. “He has proven himself against the 1s. He’s improving and he’s the right guy to be coaching.”

In addition to his athleticism and motor, Matlock has shown the desired strength to take on single blocks and double teams to allow his teammates to roam freely.

Defense isn’t the only department Matlock has made plays. He has been on special teams, as well. While a penalty negated it, Matlock blocked a field goal attempt this past Sunday. At Boise State, Matlock blocked three kicks, one of which led to a touchdown return.

Matlock finished his college career with a total of 115 tackles (64 solo), 11.5 sacks, 19.5 tackles for loss, two fumble recoveries and one force fumble.

With defensive tackle Otito Ogbonnia still working his way back from his season-ending injury in 2022, other members along the interior part of the defensive line will have to step up during the regular season. Matlock is showing that he could be one of them.

Chargers DT Austin Johnson activated from PUP list, returns to practice

The Chargers return a key cog in the middle of the defensive line.

Chargers defensive tackle Austin Johnson was activated from the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list after he passed his physical and practiced in individual drills on Thursday.

“Now we just have to build back up and make sure that we take our time,” Staley said on Johnson. “But definitely a good sign for us that he is back.”

Johnson suffered a fractured knee and MCL injury in Los Angeles’ Week 9 win over the Falcons and spent the remainder of the 2022 season on injured reserve.

Before he got hurt, Johnson was a cog in the middle of the defensive line. He was tied for the team lead in run stops with 14 and led the team in run stop percentage at 11.4%.

Having him back on the field will be critical as the Bolts look to improve their run defense from last season. They finished 27th, allowing 144.2 yards rushing per game.

Morgan Fox talks Chargers’ emphasis on improving run defense

The Chargers finished bottom of the barrel at defending the run last season.

One of the areas the Chargers are looking to improve is defending the run.

Los Angeles finished bottom of the barrel in run defense last season, allowing 5.4 yards per carry (most in the NFL).

It starts in training camp, where Kellen Moore’s offense has challenged Brandon Staley’s defense.

Defensive tackle Morgan Fox, who was re-signed this offseason after a great season with the Bolts, emphasized the tasks at hand for the defensive unit.

“It’s tough,” Fox said. “They do a lot of stuff that messes with certain rules, and they move around a lot, they let [Justin] Herbert throw his arm and do what they do and get the running backs open get them moving.

“They have a great run game and mechanics,” Fox added. “It’s been a challenge every day, but it’s a good challenge. Everyone says iron sharpens iron and we’ve definitely been getting better.”

Staley made a point to bolster the run defense with last offseason’s additions of Fox, Sebastian Joseph-Day, Austin Johnson and Otito Ogbonnia. However, Johnson and Ogbonnia’s seasons were cut short after sustaining injuries.

Those losses made L.A. more susceptible to big gains up the middle of the defense. But the issues did not just stem from there. After the loss of Joey Bosa in Week 3, opposing running backs were having plenty of success with carries on the outside.

Additionally, players at the second and third levels of the defense struggled a good amount at tackling in open space.

The Chargers have been hard at work to get better in this department, and it’ll help to get back these players that were out last season from their respective injuries, as well as the addition of veteran Eric Kendricks in the middle of the defense.

“I think our dedication to improving it is definitely starting to show through,” Fox said. “Guys are communicating really well when it comes to our adjustments in the run game, taking on the mentality of being more physical, being more sound and understanding where they fit within the defense.

“That has been a huge point of emphasis for everyone; understand where you fit in the scheme,” Fox added. “I think guys have really emphasized and taken it as a point of pride to improve that.”