HEADLINES

Los Angeles Chargers News & Rumors

NFL Injury Updates: Higgins, Herbert, Seahawks

September 20th, 2024 at 9:05pm CST by Ely Allen

The Bengals have operated through the first two weeks of the season without two of their top targets from the 2023 NFL season. Tyler Boyd found his way to Tennessee in free agency, and Tee Higgins has missed the first two games of the year with a hamstring injury. Quarterback Joe Burrow will be happy to see one of the two return in Week 3 against the Commanders, according to Ben Baby of ESPN.

Higgins has been limited at practice throughout this past week, but the fifth-year wideout claimed that “he feels 100% healthy and…should be able to play at full strength” this Monday night. Higgins broke 1,000 yards receiving in his second NFL season despite missing three games, and he’ll be challenged to do so in 2024 after missing two already.

Star wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase may be just as happy to see Higgins as Burrow is. The only major receiving threat in the team’s first two games, Chase has been limited to 10 catches for 97 yards so far this season. Andrei Iosivas and Trenton Irwin have been the beneficiaries of Higgins’ missed time, and they’ll hope that their early efforts have earned them some targets as WR3 and WR4 moving forward.

Here are a few other injury updates from around the NFL:

  • Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert has been seen very little at practice this week after getting rolled up on in last week’s game. Per James Palmer of Bleacher Report, Herbert told reporters he had been dealing with a high ankle sprain. Herbert also mentioned that a decision hasn’t been made yet on whether or not he’ll play this Sunday.
  • The Seahawks will likely be without four starters in Week 3. Running back Kenneth Walker and linebacker Jerome Baker are both doubtful, while outside linebacker Uchenna Nwosu and right tackle George Fant have already been ruled out. Per Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic, Walker could return in Week 4 after missing two contests. ESPN’s Brady Henderson adds that the team is hopeful Nwosu will be back by then, too. He’s reportedly “progressing really quickly,” according to head coach Mike Macdonald.

NFL Injury Updates: Bell, Herbert, Armstead, Rodgers, Vea, Pacheco

September 15th, 2024 at 8:01pm CST by Ely Allen

The Browns were able to escape Duval with their first win of the year but saw wide receiver David Bell carted off the field in the third quarter. According to Josh Alper of NBC Sports, head coach Kevin Stefanski told the media that Bell had been diagnosed with a dislocated hip.

While surely a painful situation, Bell seems to have avoided a more serious outcome. Despite leaving the field on the cart, Bell will be able to fly home with his teammates and seek treatment in Cleveland.

Here are updates on a few other injuries from around the NFL this week:

  • On a big day for the Chargers, there was a moment of worry when quarterback Justin Herbert got “rolled up” in the game, per Kris Rhim of ESPN. Los Angeles performed an x-ray on their starting passer, but more tests will be necessary to determine the extent of Herbert’s injury. The 26-year-old was noticably limping after the game.
  • While the notable injury in Miami on Thursday night was clearly that of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, left tackle Terron Armstead was also notably absent from the second half of the Dolphins‘ loss to Buffalo with a shoulder injury. In an update the next day, head coach Mike McDaniel clarified that Armstead avoided the worst-case scenario and would be returning “sooner than later,” per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. There was initially some fear that the injury could be a season-ending ailment, but it seems Armstead’s absence will only a couple weeks at most.
  • After sitting out the entire 2023 season due to a gambling suspension, Eagles cornerback Isaiah Rodgers missed the team’s 2024 season opener with a hand injury. This week, we found out from Rodgers that his hand was broken on the last day of training camp when a teammate went to punch out a ball and punched his hand instead, according to Andrew DiCecco of 975TheFanatic. His hand is improving, and he has returned to practice.
  • Buccaneers defensive tackle Vita Vea suffered a knee injury in today’s win over the Lions. Following the game, it was reported by NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero that Vea is believed to have suffered an MCL sprain. The veteran lineman will undergo further MRI testing tomorrow to determine the severity of the injury, but the team is optimistic.
  • Lastly, from the afternoon slate of games, Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco suffered an ankle injury in the team’s walk-off win over the Bengals today. Per ESPN’s Jeff Darlington, Pacheco is set to undergo tests and x-rays on his ankle. The team was extremely cautious with the young rusher, though, as he was seen leaving the stadium on crutches and in a walking boot.

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/14/24

September 14th, 2024 at 8:06pm CST by Ely Allen

Saturday’s minor transactions and gameday practice squad callups:

Arizona Cardinals

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Minnesota Vikings

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Patrick was among the Broncos’ final roster cuts after a Saints trade was discussed. The 30-year-old missed the 2022 and ’23 campaigns due to ACL and Achilles tears, respectively. Patrick did not need to wait long to find a new opportunity, though, quickly landing a practice squad deal with the Lions. He is now positioned make his season debut tomorrow as a complementary option in Detroit’s passing attack.

Olszewski is dealing with a groin injury and he was known to be facing a long-term absence. Today’s move thus comes as no surprise, but it ensures at least a four-week absence. The former All-Pro scored a punt return touchdown with Pittsburgh early last season and added another during his 10-game Giants stretch to close out the year. The team will need to rely on other options in the return game for the time being.

Injury Notes: Bears, Walker, Murray, Bosa

September 11th, 2024 at 9:17pm CST by Ben Levine

The Bears got good news surrounding the knee injury that knocked Rome Odunze out of Sunday’s season opener. Per Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz, the rookie wide receiver suffered a Grade 1 knee sprain, the “best-case scenario” for the team and player.

Odunze suffered his MCL injury while blocking for Velus Jones Jr. during a fourth-quarter screen pass. The rookie stayed in the game for one additional play before exiting for good. The wideout is officially considered week-to-week, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, and there’s been no indication that the ninth-overall pick will have a stay on injured reserve. Coach Matt Eberflus said the Bears were “lucky” to avoid a serious injury, and he even kept the door open to Odunze playing in Week 2.

Wednesday’s injury report also showed that fellow receiver Keenan Allen didn’t practice while nursing a heel injury. Eberflus later clarified that the wideout was considered day-to-day, and there’s hope the offseason acquisition can hit the practice field on Thursday and Friday following his day off.

In the unlikely event that both Odunze and Allen are sidelined, the Bears’ deep wide receiver grouping will be down to just D.J. Moore. Rookie QB Caleb Williams is certainly hoping for his full arsenal of wideouts following an NFL debut where he completed only 14 of 29 pass attempts for 93 yards.

More injury notes from around the NFL…

  • Kenneth Walker left Sunday’s game with an oblique injury and didn’t practice on Wednesday, per the Seahawks‘ injury report. Mike Macdonald said the running back is day-to-day (via ESPN’s Brady Henderson), but another missed practice would obviously put the player’s Week 2 availability in doubt. Walker exited the season opener after compiling 103 rushing yards and one touchdown. Zach Charbonnet finished the game at running back, scoring a 30-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter.
  • Kyler Murray was a full participant at today’s practice, but the Cardinals QB still showed up on the injury report with a knee injury. Murray, of course, suffered an ACL injury during the 2022 campaign, and 2024 represented his first healthy offseason in a few years. Murray didn’t miss a snap on Sunday, and it seemed like his knee was in good shape after he ran for 57 yards. Clayton Tune is the only other QB currently on the active roster.
  • The Chargers announced that Joey Bosa was a limited participant at Wednesday’s practice while dealing with a back injury. The pass rusher appeared in 60 percent of his team’s defensive snaps in Week 1, collecting a sack and a forced fumble along the way. The long-time Charger has been snake bitten by injuries over the past few years, missing 20 total games.
  • NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport passes along a list of other notable players who didn’t practice on Wednesday, including Bengals receiver Tee Higgins (hamstring), Chiefs receiver Marquise Brown (shoulder), Browns tight end David Njoku (ankle), Packers quarterback Jordan Love (MCL), and Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore (hip/hamstring).

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/11/24

September 11th, 2024 at 8:02pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s practice squad transactions:

Arizona Cardinals

Carolina Panthers

Denver Broncos

  • Signed: WR Kaden Davis

Detroit Lions

Indianapolis Colts

Los Angeles Chargers

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

  • Signed: LB Jackson Sirmon

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Tennessee Titans

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/9/24

September 9th, 2024 at 7:29pm CST by Ben Levine

Tonight’s practice squad moves:

Houston Texans

Los Angeles Chargers

  • Signed: CB Nehemiah Shelton
  • Released: CB Matt Hankins

New York Giants

Chargers Place WR DJ Chark On IR

September 7th, 2024 at 8:30pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Chargers’ new-look receiving corps will not have DJ Chark available at the start of the season. The veteran was placed on injured reserve Saturday.

A hip injury kept Chark out of practice during the week, and he will now be sidelined for at least the first four games of the season. The 27-year-old took a one-year deal in free agency to come to Los Angeles, continuing his journey around the NFL after the end of his Jaguars rookie contract. Chark had one-year stints with the Lions and Panthers prior to joining the Bolts this spring.

Keenan Allen and Mike Williams were staples of the Chargers’ passing attack for years, including all four seasons in which quarterback Justin Herbert has been in place. Allen was traded to the Bears and Williams was released, however. Both veterans had one year remaining on their respective contracts, but many cap-related moves were made by new general manager Joe Hortiz in the offseason. An offer to keep Allen in the fold at a reduced rate was rejected, while Williams was let go after an ACL tear caused him to miss most of last year.

Los Angeles has Josh Palmer in place as a receiver holdover, and the 24-year-old Canadian is in line for a notable role as he approaches free agency. The Chargers’ top pick in last year’s draft – Quentin Johnston – will be expected to take a step forward after an underwhelming rookie campaign. Hortiz and new head coach Jim Harbaugh added three wideouts in the draft, including second-rounder Ladd McConkey. Chark was set to play at least a rotational role amidst that trio on his latest team, but his Chargers debut will be delayed.

A Pro Bowler in 2019, the LSU alum saw a downturn in production the following year and was limited to just four games in his final Jacksonville campaign. Chark also missed multiple games in Detroit and Carolina, but his production remained consistent with 1,027 yards and eight touchdowns across that span. With a career yards per catch average of 14.5, he will remain a vertical threat once healthy. For now, though, the Chargers’ pass-catching corps will be shorthanded.

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/7/24

September 7th, 2024 at 7:42pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are all the NFL’s minor transactions for Saturday, including the gameday callups leading into the first Sunday of the 2024 season:

Atlanta Falcons

Buffalo Bills

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

Pittsburgh Steelers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

With regular kicker Matt Gay listed as questionable for the season opener after hernia surgery, the Colts will call up Shrader from the practice squad as an emergency option. The 25-year-old has not made a regular season appearance in his career, but that could very well change tomorrow.

2024 Offseason In Review Series

September 4th, 2024 at 9:43pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are PFR’s examinations of the 32 NFL teams’ 2024 offseasons:

AFC East

AFC North

AFC South

AFC West

NFC East

NFC North

NFC South

NFC West

Justin Herbert Avoids Injury Report, Discusses Foot Injury

September 4th, 2024 at 7:01pm CST by Ben Levine

Justin Herbert didn’t make an appearance on the Chargers injury report, a clear indication that he’s good to go for Week 1. Before today’s report dropped, the quarterback made it clear that he’s past his foot injury, although he wouldn’t specify why he specifically missed weeks of practice.

[RELATED: Justin Herbert Returns To Practice]

Herbert was sidelined at the start of August and was spotted wearing a walking boot. It was reported that the franchise QB sustained a plantar fascia injury on July 31, although Herbert said today that he “didn’t have that.” The quarterback wouldn’t reveal what exact injury he had been dealing with, with the fifth-year pro opting to keep the issue quiet.

“You know, I think that’s just something that’s a personal thing that you’d like to keep to yourself,” Herbert said (h/t Alexander Insdorf of Bolt Beat). “And if it’s not something I have to put out there, then I think I’d like to keep that to myself, and to the doctors here especially.”

Per Daniel Popper of The Athletic, Herbert revealed that he didn’t suffer the injury at any exact moment, and the soreness gradually built up over a period of time. The QB also revealed that he’ll need to manage the injury throughout the upcoming campaign, which will include rehabbing and icing.

“It’s not really on my mind right now,” Herbert said of his foot (via Popper). “As long as we’re out in front of it, I think it’ll be all right.”

Herbert’s injury came at an unfortunate time for an offense that’ll be without former top wideouts Keenan Allen and Mike Williams. The organization recently added a bit more insurance behind Herbert, adding veteran Taylor Heinicke to a QB room that already featured backup Easton Stick. Herbert was limited to 13 games last season thanks to a finger injury, but both the QB and the Chargers are hoping he can put forward a 17-game showing in 2024.

Load More Posts