The Chargers have been hit with some crucial injuries to start the season. Even with some of the talent they have lost, they sit at 4-3 and in the seventh slot.
They lost even more players during Sunday’s 37-23 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. It seems like it showed even more during the terrible loss.
In the second quarter, the defense lost cornerback J.C. Jackson to what was first described as a knee injury. He was carted off with an air cast on his right leg.
Chargers head coach Brandon Staley said that Jackson’s season is over with a ruptured patella tendon. It is a shame because Jackson struggled at the beginning of the season and felt like he was close to turning it around.
This means that Michael Davis will be the starter opposite Asante Samuel Jr. and will try to hold it down. Davis has struggled in his career. There has been some good but also some bad.
In the fourth quarter, receiver Mike Williams caught a jump pass, and his right leg was caught underneath the tackle. He left the stadium in a walking boot.
“Mike Williams has an ankle sprain,” Staley explained. “It will be a matter of weeks, not days. We’ll keep you up-to-date on that, but try to take advantage of these next two weeks. Then, see where he is at.”
This one hurts. Williams is a big part of the Chargers offense, especially on the road. He has five straight road games with over 100-plus receiving yards. This team faces two challenging road games going to Atlanta and San Francisco when they return from the bye week.
The Chargers are getting Keenan Allen back after the bye week, and now they will have to wait for Williams. Staley did confirm it was a high ankle sprain, which can take anywhere from two to eight weeks. It depends on the player.
Edge rusher Chris Rumph was also hurt during a special teams play. He left the arena on crutches.
“He has an MCL sprain,” Staley said. “It’s a matter of weeks, not days, but not a significant one. Nothing surgical.”
There are three significant injuries to areas where the team doesn’t necessarily have the most depth. For example, Rumph was an injured Joey Bosa’s replacement, so since he is out for a bit, it leaves Derrek Tuszka and Kyle Van Noy. They will need help.
Now that Jackson is out, that means Davis is the starter. There is a reason why the Chargers defensive staff wanted Jackson because they don’t see Davis as a starter.
Lastly, with Williams out for weeks, they need some help at receiver. The coaches and players have spoken about how other receivers have stepped up, but that isn’t the case. Josh Palmer hadn’t stepped up before his injury, and neither had anyone not named Gerald Everett. De’Andre Carter has had some moments.
They are missing consistency. Will they make any moves before the trade deadline?
“We’ll see,” Staley said. “We are always going to look for avenues to enhance our team and make it better. If those avenues are possible, then we’ll definitely explore them.”
Staley said the Chargers brass will meet and discuss what they can do to improve the team. Looking for some trades may not be a bad idea to add some much-needed juice.
The NFL is about a week away from the trade deadline, so with this being the bye week, it could be the perfect time to bring players in, but in their history, the Chargers usually stay quiet around this time. The last time they made a big acquisition was in 2007, when they traded for Dolphins receiver Chris Chambers.
The Chargers haven’t looked good the last two weeks, but Staley believes their best football is ahead of them.
“We’re a work-in-progress,” Staley said. “I think that we haven’t played our best football, for sure. I think you have seen glimpses of it, but we have to bring this group together in the second half of the season. I think everything is in front of us, but I think for us, it’s just going to be taking it a day at a time.”
