On the same day the Chargers learned that running back Austin Ekeler would be out for the season, the team now has to deal with another injury on the defensive side of the ball. Defensive lineman Corey Liuget is now considered to be out with a “week-to-week” injury after suffering a grade 2 PCL sprain in last night’s game vs. the Chiefs, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).
Rapoport explains that while Liuget’s injury is just a short-term setback, it remains up in the air whether he will return to the field with two weeks remaining in the regular season.
Liuget, 27, has been with the Chargers since the franchise drafted him back in the first round in 2011. His best season came in 2012 when the defensive tackle recorded seven sacks and 51 total tackles. Liuget hasn’t been as much of a force in terms of getting to the quarterback in recent years, but he’s still graded out as the 31st best interior defender in the NFL by Pro Football Focus through 14 weeks.
Without Liuget, Los Angeles will have to turn to backups Darius Philon and Damion Square to fill out the team’s starting defensive line, which features Joey Bosa, Melvin Ingram and Brandon Mebane. However, if the Chargers can sneak into the postseason, it’s seems fairly likely that Liuget could return to the front seven.