Chargers cornerback Cam Hart will be sidelined until mandatory minicamp as he recovers from shoulder surgery, according to ESPN’s Kris Rhim.
Hart tore his labrum during the Chargers’ wild card loss to the Texans in January. He underwent surgery shortly after and is awaiting medical clearance before he returns to the field.
The 2024 fifth-round pick out of Notre Dame started six straight regular season games in his rookie year after Asante Samuel Jr. landed on injured reserve in Week 5. Two concussions and an ankle injury limited Hart in November and December, but he returned to the Chargers’ starting lineup in the playoffs.
The Chargers have plenty of cornerback depth if Hart suffers any setbacks in his recovery, even with Samuel no longer in Los Angeles. Tarheeb Still, who was taken three picks before Hart, started 12 games last year, and 2022 sixth-rounder Ja’Sir Taylor had a 32.2% snap share. The team also signed veteran Donte Jackson this offseason; he started 31 games over the last two seasons for the Panthers and the Steelers.
If Hart can re-establish himself alongside Still later this summer, the Chargers will have a cheap starting outside cornerback duo for the next three years. That’s an excellent return on a pair of fifth-round picks and, along with Joe Alt and Ladd McConkey, represents a strong start to general manager Joe Hortiz‘s draft history