The Chargers have a lot of big names on their injury report heading into Sunday’s game against the Chiefs.
Quarterback Justin Herbert’s name is the biggest one. Herbert left last Sunday’s loss to the Steelers with the ankle injury he originally suffered in Week Two and he was a limited participant in practice all week. The Chargers have listed him as questionable and part of their decision may be based on who is available to block for him.
Left tackle Rashawn Slater has been ruled out with a pectoral injury and rookie right tackle Joe Alt is questionable with a knee injury. If the Chargers don’t feel they can protect an injured Herbert, the better move may be to give everyone through the Week Five bye to recover.
The injury issues are not limited to the offense. Edge rusher Joey Bosa has been ruled out with the hip injury that forced him out early in last Sunday’s game.
Linebacker Junior Colson (hamstring) is also out while wide receiver Derius Davis (hamstring), cornerback Kristian Fulton (knee), cornerback Deane Leonard (hamstring), and cornerback Ja’Sir Taylor (fibula) are the other players in the questionable category.
The Chiefs will not have one of their key defensive players when they take on the Chargers this weekend.
Defensive end Mike Danna has been ruled out with a calf injury.
Danna was added to the injury report as a non-participant on Thursday. While he was limited on Friday he won’t play in Week 4.
Danna, 26, has been on the field for 65 percent of Kansas City’s defensive snaps so far this season. He’s recorded 12 total tackles with one tackle for loss and two QB hits.
The rest of the players currently on the Chiefs roster are expected to play, including linebacker Nick Bolton (back), receiver Rashee Rice (ankle), defensive tackle Derrick Nnadi (triceps), cornerback Jaylen Watson (shoulder), and safety Chamarri Conner (heel).
Who’s got it better than us?
A multi-billionaire who owns an NBA team and who just bought a fairly sizable chunk of an NFL team. (“Nobody” really is catchier.)
PFT has confirmed that Detroit Pistons owner Tom Gores has finalized a deal to purchase 27 percent of the L.A. Chargers. Although Tom Gores serves as Chair and CEO of the Platinum Equity private equity fund, he’s purchasing the interest in his individual capacity.
Gores will have no control or path to control, and he will have no day-to-day involvement in the Chargers.
He’s essentially buying out Dea Spanos Berberian, the sister of controlling owner Dean Spanos. The move resolves a protracted Spanos family dispute that resulted in multiple pieces of litigation.
The price to be paid for the 27-percent share isn’t known. That number would reveal the valuation of the team. Some in league circles believe that NFL franchises are inching closer and closer to a base value of $8 billion to $10 billion. The record sale happened in 2023, when a group led by Josh Harris bought the Commanders for $6.05 billion.
The purchase is expected to be approved by the league’s owners next month, at their regularly-scheduled quarterly meeting.
Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert remained limited in Thursday’s practice.
Herbert initially injured his right ankle in Week 2 against the Panthers and aggravated it in the third quarter of last Sunday’s loss in Pittsburgh. He did not return to the game and was in a walking boot afterward.
He will continue to try to play through the high ankle sprain, which kept him out of two practices last week and limited him in the other. Herbert said Wednesday that his ankle is feeling better than it did last week.
Herbert missed two weeks of training camp with a plantar fascia injury in his right foot.
Offensive tackle Rashawn Slater (pectoral), edge rusher Joey Bosa (hip), offensive tackle Joe Alt (knee), linebacker Junior Colson (hamstring) and wide receiver Derius Davis (hamstring) did not practice Thursday. Davis was limited Wednesday, while the other four players missed a second consecutive practice.
Cornerback Kristian Fulton (knee), cornerback Ja’sir Taylor (fibula) and tight end Hayden Hurst (Achilles) remained limited, while offensive tackle Trey Pipkins III (foot) returned to limited work after missing Wednesday’s session.
The Chargers won’t have Derwin James for Sunday’s game against the Chiefs, so they added another veteran safety to the 53-man roster on Thursday.
The NFL’s daily transaction report shows that the Chargers have signed Tony Jefferson off of their practice squad. James was suspended for one game this week for repeated violations of player safety rules.
Jefferson played seven snaps in the Week Two win against the Panthers as a temporary elevation. Jefferson spent last year working in the Ravens’ scouting department, but decided to resume his playing career and signed with the Chargers.
Jefferson has played 120 regular season and six playoff games over the course of his career. That number will likely go up to 121 in Los Angeles this weekend.