Justin Herbert Active For MNF; Chargers Make Handful Of Roster Moves
Justin Herbert‘s status for tonight’s game was still in doubt as of this morning. Well, the Chargers quarterback is officially active for Monday Night Football, per the team.
[RELATED: Chargers QB Justin Herbert’s Status Uncertain For Week 14]
NFL Network’s Omar Ruiz reported earlier that Herbert was expected to play tonight. After undergoing surgery to repair a fracture in his non-throwing hand, the quarterback will wear a padded glove for the time being. ESPN’s Kris Rhim notes that Herbert admitted that gripping the football was his biggest issue, and the reporter spotted the QB practicing handoffs and play-action sequences while gripping the ball with his left hand.
The Chargers were afforded a bit of extra time to evaluate Herbert’s progress thanks to their MNF showdown with the Eagles. The quarterback participated in both seven-on-seven drills as well as 11-on-11 work this week, although there were reports that he’s struggled to receive snaps from under center. This limitation will certainly require some watching tonight.
The Chargers made a handful of additional moves in anticipation of tonight’s game. Most notably, the team activated running back Omarion Hampton from injured reserve, a move that was reported last week. The team will also be welcoming back running back Hassan Haskins and defensive lineman Otito Ogbonnia from injured reserve.
Haskins suffered a hamstring injury in Week 7 that landed him on IR. In the two games preceding that injury, Haskins garnered 11 carries as the Chargers navigated a depleted RBs room following the injuries to Hampton and Najee Harris. While Haskins has been sidelined, Kimani Vidal ran with the starting RB job. Now, both backs are expected to serve as reserves behind Hampton. Ogbonnia hasn’t played since October thanks to an elbow injury. The former fifth-round pick has collected a single tackle in his four appearances this season.
The Chargers weren’t done making moves. Wide receiver Dalevon Campbell was elevated from the practice squad for tonight’s contest. To make room on the roster for all these moves, the Chargers placed tight end Tucker Fisk on IR and waived both defensive lineman Naquan Jones and running back Jaret Patterson.
Chargers Designate RB Omarion Hampton For Return From IR
NOVEMBER 26: A day after his 21-day practice window opened, Hampton revealed some previously unknown details on the injury that put him on IR for the past seven weeks. While we had known it was a left ankle injury that sidelined the North Carolina rookie, Hampton revealed that the nature of the injury was a fracture, per ESPN’s Kris Rhim. He’ll have a chance to make his return as soon as this weekend, if Los Angeles opts to activate him by Saturday.
NOVEMBER 25: Najee Harris will not play again this season for the Chargers. The other member of the team’s backfield tandem from the start of the season could be back soon, however. 
Head coach Jim Harbaugh announced on Tuesday (via ESPN’s Kris Rhim) Omarion Hampton will return to practice today. That means his 21-day activation window will open. Hampton must be brought back onto the active roster within that time to avoid reverting to season-ending injured reserve.
Harris suffered an Achilles tear in Week 3, something which ended the chances of Hampton being eased into action in terms of workload. The first-round rookie was slated for a clear-cut RB1 role with Harris out of the fold, but that setup did not last long. Hampton suffered an ankle injury in early October, and he has resided on IR ever since. Getting him back in the fold at some point late in the season will be key.
The Chargers’ offense has been without left tackle Rashawn Slater all season. His replacement on the blindside, Joe Alt, thrived in that role when healthy be he too has been lost for the remainder of the campaign. Los Angeles traded for Trevor Penning at the deadline, but the team’s O-line will remain a major point of concern moving forward.
The Bolts find themselves in the top 10 in the league in scoring but they sit just 20th in total offense. Improvement on the ground would be welcomed, and having a healthy Hampton could go a long way in that regard. The North Carolina product received double-digit carries in four of his five appearances prior to going down. Overall, Hampton produced 450 scrimmage yards while averaging 4.8 yards per carry.
Hampton could be back as early as Week 13, and the same is also true for defensive tackle Otito Ogbonnia. The latter’s practice window is also being opened, per Harbaugh (h/t Daniel Popper of The Athletic). Ogbonnia has been sidelined since Week 7 due to an elbow injury, but he will likely be back in the fold shortly barring a setback in practice over the coming days.
The Chargers have been hit hard by injuries throughout the campaign, and they have only three IR activations remaining. Bringing back Hampton and Ogbonnia will leave them with one for the closing weeks of the regular season.
Chargers Activate Two From PUP, Place WR Josh Palmer On IR
The Chargers are bringing in some reinforcements in the form of two players coming back from long-term injuries. This morning, the team announced that they were activating wide receiver Jalen Guyton and defensive tackle Otito Ogbonnia from the reserve/physically unable to perform list. In order to make room on the roster, Los Angeles made two corresponding moves, placing wide receiver Josh Palmer on injured reserve and waiving defensive tackle Christopher Hinton. 
Guyton, while not being a star for the Chargers during his first four years in the NFL, has been a solid contributor in the receiving corps behind usual leading receivers Keenan Allen and Mike Williams, averaging about 480 receiving yards and three touchdowns in the 2020 and 2021 seasons. Last year, Guyton’s continuation of that role was interrupted by a Week 3 ACL tear that held him out for the remainder of the season.
The Chargers knew they’d be without Guyton for at least four games, deciding to start the year with him on PUP, but they likely didn’t expect it to take eight weeks for him to make his 2023 debut. Regardless, with the recent losses of Williams and Palmer to injury, bringing back Guyton was becoming more of a necessity than a luxury. The deep threat will team up with Allen, rookies Quentin Johnston and Derius Davis, and Simi Fehoko as the only receivers on the active roster.
Ogbonnia appeared in seven games last year as a rookie, even earning a start during his first year in the league. The former track and field star should be able to add to a defensive line that has seen multiple contributors dealing with injuries over the past few weeks. Known in college for his disruptive abilities, Ogbonnia should certainly find himself in some packages on defense soon.
Palmer was declared out for tomorrow night’s game yesterday due to a knee injury he’s been dealing with. Either the ailment is worse than the media has made it seem to this point, or the Chargers are being extra cautious in a season that hasn’t necessarily had the start they would have wanted. Regardless, Palmer’s placement on IR will guarantee his will miss at least the next four games.
Hinton, an undrafted rookie last year, eventually found his way to Los Angeles, where he would make his NFL debut, appearing in four contests in 2022. He was able to make the team’s active roster to start this season but was waived and re-signed over the last month. He’ll hit waivers for the second time this season but could find his way to the practice squad if he clears them.
Chargers Open WR Jalen Guyton’s Practice Window
A productive Chargers deep threat from 2020-21, Jalen Guyton suffered a torn ACL in Week 3 of last season. After more than a year in the rehab process, the former UDFA is back at practice.
The Chargers opened Guyton’s practice window Thursday, per The Athletic’s Daniel Popper, who adds the team also started defensive lineman Otito Ogbonnia‘s 21-day activation clock. Ogbonnia has been out since mid-November of last year, having suffered a ruptured patellar tendon.
Each resided on Los Angeles’ reserve/PUP list; these likely near-future activations will not count against the team’s eight allotted IR in-season activations. Both players are eligible to return for the Bolts’ Week 7 game, but each has three weeks from today to be activated.
Guyton’s return will matter more now than it recently looked to, with Mike Williams out for the season. In addition to Williams’ absence, first-round pick Quentin Johnston is struggling to acclimate to the pro game. The Chargers obviously still have high hopes the TCU alum will do so, but he only has six receptions for 44 yards through six games.
A former UDFA out of North Texas, Guyton re-signed with the Chargers this offseason. Coming off the major knee injury, the 212-pound wideout is tied to a one-year, $1.23MM contract. Guyton totaled 59 receptions for 959 yards from 2020-21, scoring six touchdowns in that span. Guyton, 26, averaged 18.3 yards per reception in 2020 and was on the receiving end of one of this NFL period’s best deep connections — a 59-yard TD pass against the Giants — a year later. He worked as a Williams-Keenan Allen supporting-caster in that span, debuting before Josh Palmer. The 2021 third-round pick is now in place as the Chargers’ No. 2 wideout; Guyton will have a chance to return to a tertiary role.
Chosen in the 2022 fifth round, Ogbonnia only played in seven games before suffering the severe knee injury. The UCLA product played 31% of the Chargers’ defensive snaps last season. A rotational role appears likely this year as well, provided Ogbonnia completes his ramp-up period without any setbacks. Both he and Guyton were eligible to return in Week 6; their re-emergences figure to take place shortly after. For Guyton, this comeback will begin a platform season. A steady gig as a Herbert complementary target could produce a free agency market come 2024.
Chargers Finalize 53-Man Roster
The Chargers took care of most of their headline moves before the deadline today. They used today to take care of the remaining moves necessary to get down to the 53-man roster limit. Here are the team’s moves from today:
Waived:
- LB Brevin Allen
- OT Zack Bailey
- S Tyler Baker-Williams
- C Johari Branch
- WR Terrell Bynum
- DL Jerrod Clark
- WR Keelan Doss
- LB Nathan East
- TE Michael Ezeike
- LB Andrew Farmer
- CB Matt Hankins
- WR John Hightower
- RB Tyler Hoosman
- CB Michael Jacquet
- LB Mikel Jones
- TE Hunter Kampmoyer
- OT Matt Kaskey
- LB Carlo Kemp
- DL Terrance Lang
- LB Blake Lynch
- DL David Moa
- CB Tiawan Mullen
- DL C.J. Okoye
- OL Austen Pleasants
- RB Aaron Shampklin
- LB Ty Shelby
- WR Darrius Shepherd
- CB Amechi Uzodinma
- C Isaac Weaver
- DB Mark Webb
- WR Pokey Wilson
- WR Milton Wright
Placed on reserve/PUP:
- WR Jalen Guyton
- DL Otito Ogbonnia
Seventh-round rookie quarterback Max Duggan failed to make the roster behind starter Justin Herbert and backup Easton Stick. At running back, though, undrafted rookie running back Elijah Dotson impressed enough in the preseason to make the active roster in the regular season.
The team will carry a simple, five-man receiving corps into the season with Guyton on the physically unable to perform list. Returning wideouts Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, and Josh Palmer will be joined by former TCU draft picks Quentin Johnston and Derius Davis.
Cameron Dicker winning the kicking battle led to the trading of Dustin Hopkins and the waiving of Cade York. After making 19 of his 20 kick attempts for the Chargers in his rookie year and converting all 22 of his extra point attempts, Dicker will remain the team’s placekicker moving forward.
Minor NFL Transactions: 7/26/23
Today’s minor transactions:
Arizona Cardinals
- Placed on PUP: TE Zach Ertz, QB Kyler Murray, LB BJ Ojulari
- Placed on NFI: CB Garrett Williams
- Waived: TE Chris Pierce
Baltimore Ravens
- Placed on NFI: DB Trayvon Mullen
- Waived: OT Brandon Kipper
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: WR Javon Wims
- Waived: WR Marquez Stevenson
Chicago Bears
- Signed: OL Aviante Collins
- Waived: OL Lorenz Metz
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: WR Cody Chrest
- Placed on NFI: OT Caleb Jones
- Waived/injured: WR Jeff Cotton
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Placed on PUP: LB Dawuane Smoot
Las Vegas Raiders
- Placed on NFI: DT Neil Farrell
Los Angeles Chargers
- Activated from PUP: WR Pokey Wilson
- Placed on PUP: WR Jalen Guyton, DL Austin Johnson, DT Otito Ogbonnia
Los Angeles Rams
- Claimed off waivers (from Bears): LB Sterling Weatherford
- Placed on PUP: TE Hunter Long, OT Warren McClendon
New York Giants
- Signed: DT Kevin Atkins
- Reverted to IR: LB Elerson Smith
New York Jets
- Activated from PUP: TE C.J. Uzomah
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: WR Deon Cain
- Placed on NFI: WR Devon Allen
- Released: TE Dalton Keene
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: LB Kyahva Tezino
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: DB Chris Steele
- Placed on PUP: S Jamal Adams, LB Jordyn Brooks, TE Noah Fant, NT Austin Faoliu, NT Bryan Mone, CB Tariq Woolen
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: DB A.J. Moore
- Waived: DT Curtis Brooks
Among the additions on today’s list, defensive back A.J. Moore is the most notable. The defensive back spent four years with the Texans to begin his career, compiling 69 tackles in 55 games while primarily playing on special teams. The 27-year-old spent a chunk of last season on the Titans practice squad, and he ultimately got into one game with the big-league club.
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/16/22
Today’s minor transactions:
Atlanta Falcons
- Designated for return: G Jalen Mayfield
Denver Broncos
- Placed on IR: LS Mitchell Fraboni
- Designated for return: LS Jacob Bobenmoyer
Houston Texans
- Waived: WR Tyron Johnson
- Designated for return: DL Michael Dwumfour
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed off Browns practice squad: DL Tyeler Davison
- Placed on IR: DL Christian Covington, DL Otito Ogbonnia (story)
Los Angeles Rams
- Designated for return: G David Edwards
- Placed on IR: T Chandler Brewer, T Alaric Jackson, WR Cooper Kupp (story)
Philadelphia Eagles
- Activated from PUP: TE Tyree Jackson
- Designated for return: DE Janarius Robinson
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Designated for return: DE DeMarvin Leal
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: K Josh Lambo
- Waived: WR Chris Conley
Chargers DLs Christian Covington, Otito Ogbonnia Expected To Miss Rest Of Season
The Chargers waived Jerry Tillery last week, leading to extensive interest on the wire. Had the team hung onto Tillery through Sunday night’s game, he probably would have seen an increased role. The Bolts’ defensive line equation changed during its loss to the 49ers.
Both Christian Covington and Otito Ogbonnia are expected to miss the rest of the season, Brandon Staley said Monday. Covington suffered a torn pectoral muscle, while Ogbonnia suffered a more severe injury — a ruptured patellar tendon. The latter is most definitely done for the year.
These injuries came shortly after the Bolts lost offseason pickup Austin Johnson for the year. Johnson suffered a fractured knee and sustained MCL damage during last week’s Bolts-Falcons game. Coupled with the losses the Chargers encountered against the 49ers, their post-Tillery D-line is short on staffers.
An eighth-year veteran who has seen game action with four teams, Covington is in his second season with the Chargers. He saw a 48% defensive snap share last season and has played a regular role in four games this year. The former Texans, Cowboys and Bengals contributor provided supplementary work on a retooled Bolts D-line this year. Covington, 29, is signed through the end of this season.
A fifth-round pick, Ogbonnia started his first career game Sunday night. The UCLA product has played 31% of the Bolts’ defensive snaps but has a long rehab road ahead. Patellar tendon ruptures can be difficult to surmount, putting the 21-year-old defender on an uncertain NFL path.
Tillery’s exit and the three season-ending injuries will obviously transform this defensive line. The team only has offseason addition Sebastian Joseph-Day, veteran pickup Morgan Fox and recent practice squad promotion Breiden Fehoko healthy at this position group going into Week 11. Roster adjustments will be made ahead of that Chiefs matchup. If free agency is considered, the likes of Ndamukong Suh, Sheldon Richardson and Brandon Williams are available. Ditto Linval Joseph, a two-year Chargers contributor who recently visited the Jets.
NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/13/22
Several more mid- and late-round picks agreed to terms on their four-year rookie contracts Friday. Here are the latest agreements:
Denver Broncos
- TE Greg Dulcich (third round, UCLA)
Detroit Lions
- LB Malcolm Rodriguez (sixth round, Oklahoma State)
- LB James Houston (sixth round, Jackson State)
Houston Texans
- WR John Metchie III (second round, Alabama)
- TE Teagan Quitoriano (fifth round, Oregon State)
- OL Austin Deculus (sixth round, LSU)
Indianapolis Colts
- S Nick Cross (third round, Maryland)
Los Angeles Chargers
- DL Otito Ogbonnia (fifth round, UCLA)
- CB Ja’Sir Taylor (sixth round, Wake Forest)
- CB Deane Leonard (seventh round, Ole Miss)
- FB Zander Horvath (seventh round, Purdue)
Miami Dolphins
- QB Skylar Thompson (seventh round, Kansas State)
New England Patriots
- CB Marcus Jones (third round, Houston)
- RB Kevin Harris (sixth round, South Carolina)
New Orleans Saints
- LB D’Marco Jackson (fifth round, Appalachian State)
- DT Jordan Jackson (sixth round, Air Force)
New York Giants
- LB Micah McFadden (fifth round, Indiana)
- DT D.J. Davidson (fifth round, Arizona State)
- OG Marcus McKethan (fifth round, North Carolina)
- LB Darrian Beavers (sixth round, Cincinnati)
Pittsburgh Steelers
- WR George Pickens (second round, Georgia)
- TE Connor Heyward (sixth round, Michigan State)
- LB Mark Robinson (seventh round, Ole Miss)
- QB Chris Oladokun (seventh round, South Dakota State)