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Chargers’ Melvin Gordon To Miss Time

November 26th, 2018 at 10:13am CST by Zachary Links

The Chargers won in dominant fashion on Sunday, but it didn’t come without a price. Running back Melvin Gordon suffered a grade 2 MCL sprain against the Cardinals and will miss the “next few weeks,” according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). On the plus side, Gordon is expected to return before the regular season is through. 

Gordon has been positively stellar in his fourth pro season. Through ten games, Gordon has nine rushing touchdowns and has averaged 5.2 yards per carry. He also has 44 catches for 453 yards and four scores, positioning him as one of the league’s very best running backs.

Thanks in large part to his efficiency, the Chargers are 8-3 on the year and are virtually assured a spot in the playoffs, even if they cannot catch the Chiefs for the divisional lead. By the time Gordon is cleared to return, the Chargers may be in position to rest him – or at least ease his workload – before the postseason gets underway.

The Chargers will be without their top rusher when they face the Steelers on Sunday night and for their subsequent game against the Bengals on Dec. 9. It remains to be seen whether he’ll be available to play against the Chiefs on Dec. 13 and the Ravens on Dec. 22.

In the interim, the Chargers will lean a bit more on pass-catching specialist Austin Ekeler and fellow ‘backs Justin Jackson and Detrez Newsome.

Melvin Gordon Sustains MCL Injury

November 25th, 2018 at 7:52pm CST by Sam Robinson
  • Melvin Gordon might not be as fortunate. The Chargers‘ explosive starter may see his All-Pro bid put on hold because of a knee injury he sustained Sunday. Gordon left the Bolts’ win over the Cardinals because of an MCL malady, Eric Williams of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter). Gordon will undergo additional evaluation on Monday, but Williams notes there’s a real possibility the top-tier running back won’t be able to go next week against the Steelers. An MCL tear would put the rest of Gordon’s regular season in jeopardy. Gordon was battling a hamstring injury this week but suited up and scored twice before leaving the game.

Latest On Philip Rivers’ Future With Chargers

November 25th, 2018 at 11:18am CST by Rory Parks

Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers is having, at age 36 (37 in less than two weeks), a career year. He has completed 67% of his passes for 2,860 yards and 23 touchdowns against just six interceptions, good for a 112.1 quarterback rating — which would be the highest of his career — and he is on the fringe of the MVP conversation. More importantly, his team sits at 7-3 and is in full control of its playoff destiny.

However, his contract expires at the end of the 2019 season, and between that and his advanced age, there are plenty of questions about his future with the club. Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network says the Chargers want Rivers to be their starting quarterback “for as long as he wants to do it” (video link). RapSheet notes that Rivers, who is owed just $11MM in base salary in 2019, is also due a $5MM roster bonus near the start of the 2019 league year in March, which Los Angeles is expected to pick up. The team will therefore be paying him $16MM next season unless they reach an extension before then, which is a bargain for a quarterback of his caliber.

Rapoport also suggests that Rivers wants to be the Bolts’ QB at least until the team moves into its new stadium, but the stadium will open in 2020, so that does not do much to clarify Rivers’ long-term future. As Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes, it makes sense for player and team to have a frank, candid discussion about how long Rivers wants to play. The 2004 first-round pick has said that he would like to play for a few more seasons, but it is unclear exactly what that means, and the Chargers will need to know that before they go ahead and agree to pay Rivers a boatload of guaranteed money.

Rapoport says that the Chargers are willing to draft a quarterback and allow him to sit behind Rivers for several seasons, and depending on what Rivers tells them about his plans, that could happen as soon as 2019. Indeed, the Chargers were rumored as a potential fit for Baker Mayfield prior to the 2018 draft.

Chargers Claim DT T.Y. McGill

November 21st, 2018 at 7:58pm CST by Sam Robinson

The player the Eagles cut to make room for Timmy Jernigan‘s activation did not clear waivers. Instead, T.Y. McGill will head to Los Angeles.

The Chargers claimed the defensive tackle off waivers from the Eagles. He’ll join a fourth team in four NFL seasons.

McGill played in two games for the Eagles this season. He was not on the Super Bowl LII team, playing last season with the Browns (three games). McGill’s most notable work came in his first two seasons, when the former UDFA suited up in 25 Colts games.

Los Angeles had a need on its defensive interior after losing Corey Liuget for the season. The Chargers announced the veteran defensive lineman underwent successful quad tendon surgery on Wednesday. He’ll soon head to IR and begin a six- to ninth-month recovery process. That would put Liuget on course for Bolts training camp, if the rehab unfolds as hoped.

Darius Philon will likely move into the Chargers’ starting lineup, and McGill will join Damion Square and third-round rookie Justin Jones as Bolts backups up front.

Chargers DT Corey Liuget Out For Season

November 18th, 2018 at 7:59pm CST by Micah Powell

Chargers coach Anthony Lynn told reporters defensive tackle Corey Liuget‘s season is over after he suffered a right knee injury in Week 11 vs. the Broncos, ESPN’s Eric D. Williams reports. 

The Chargers just can’t buy a break on the defensive end. After losing linebacker Denzel Perryman for the year earlier this week, the team received good news on Sunday when Joey Bosa made his season debut. The celebration was short lived now with the injury bug striking the veteran Liuget, who sustained the blow in the first half of Sunday’s loss vs. Denver.

Since being drafted by the Chargers in the first round in 2011, Liuget has appeared in 108 games, with 102 coming as starts. His presence up the middle following a four-game suspension for violating the league’s performance enhancing drug policy has been key for Los Angeles in stopping the run.

In Liuget’s absence, the Chargers will likely turn to Darius Philon, who has made seven starts this season, and Justin Jones.

Joey Bosa To Return Today

November 18th, 2018 at 8:30am CST by Rory Parks

It appears that Chargers star defensive end Joey Bosa will finally make his 2018 debut. Bosa has been dealing with a bone bruise all season long, but after returning to the practice field earlier this week, the third-year pro will finally see game action as the Bolts host the division rival Broncos this afternoon. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that his source would be “shocked” if Bosa does not play today (Twitter link).

Ian Rapoport of NFL.com hears the same thing, and he tweets that the number of snaps Bosa receives today will of course depend on how he feels. But Schefter noted that Bosa was part of the Chargers’ regular defensive rotation during practice, so he may even see close to a full workload.

In any event, Bosa’s return should be a huge boost to the 7-2 Chargers, who are still in the race for the AFC West title and who are certainly in the driver’s seat for a wildcard spot if nothing else. It is also particularly timely in light of the fact that Los Angeles just lost starting linebacker Denzel Perryman for the rest of the season.

In his first two NFL seasons, Bosa racked up a combined 23 sacks and 111 tackles. The Bolts have the former No. 3 overall pick under contract through 2019 and will control him through at least 2020 via the fifth year option. He earned Pro Bowl honors last season and will further aid a pass rush that has still been pretty productive in his absence. The Chargers’ pass defense is the eighth-best in the league, per Football Outsiders’ advanced metrics, and the team has compiled 26 sacks, which is the 10th-highest total in the league.

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/14/18

November 14th, 2018 at 6:36pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Today’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Los Angeles Chargers

  • Signed: LB Tre’Von Johnson

New England Patriots

Oakland Raiders

Washington Redskins

Chargers’ Joey Bosa Returns To Practice

November 14th, 2018 at 1:47pm CST by Zachary Links

Joey Bosa could be nearing a return to the field. The star linebacker joined the Chargers for practice on Wednesday, albeit in a limited capacity. Bosa still may need time time to get in football shape, but it’s a positive development. 

[RELATED: Chargers’ Denzel Perryman Done For Year]

Bosa, 23, has been sidelined with a bone bruise all year long. Initially, doctors were hopeful that he would be able to suit up for Week 9, but the injury took longer than expected to heal.

The Chargers ranked third against the pass last season thanks in large part to Bosa, but they’ve somehow managed to stay afloat without him. The Bolts are 7-2 with their only losses coming against the Rams and Chiefs, two of the very best teams in the NFL.

In his first two NFL seasons, Bosa racked up a combined 23 sacks and 111 tackles. The Bolts have the former No. 3 overall pick under contract through 2019 and will control him through at least 2020 via the fifth year option.

Chargers’ Denzel Perryman Done For Year

November 12th, 2018 at 3:11pm CST by Zachary Links

Chargers star linebacker Denzel Perryman suffered an injury to his LCL and probably needs hamstring surgery as well, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears. The double whammy will land him on injured reserve, ending his season. 

The Chargers have been one of the league’s surprise successes this season and Perryman deserves serious credit for their 7-2 start. Through nine games, the 25-year-old (26 in December) tallied 51 total tackles and an interception. The inside linebacker doesn’t have any sacks, but he is ranked as Pro Football Focus’ 23rd best linebacker on the strength of his pass rush pressure.

Perryman, a second-round pick in 2015, is no stranger to injury. Last year, Perryman started the year on IR and went right back after seven games.

Without Perryman, the Chargers will likely turn to Korey Toomer or Nick Dzubnar in the middle. It also stands to reason that they’ll add a linebacker, especially since Kyzir White is on IR and Chris Landrum is healing up from a hip injury.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/7/18

November 7th, 2018 at 7:41pm CST by Zachary Links

Today’s practice squad moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Cleveland Browns

Detroit Lions

Los Angeles Chargers

New England Patriots

New York Giants

  • Signed: WR Quadree Henderson

New York Jets

  • Signed: RB De’Angelo Henderson

Seattle Seahawks

  • Signed: LB Emmanuel Ellerbee
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