Injuries have plagued the LA Chargers' 2025 season and that didn't change despite a dominant win over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday. The Chargers suffered several injuries at AT&T Stadium that didn't change the final outcome, but may have a significant impact moving forward.
Both the offensive and defensive side of the ball took hits of various degrees throughout the game. As great as the team played on Sunday, the Bolts now have to sit back and hope that the Week 16 injuries don't extend further into the season or even the NFL Playoffs.
The biggest injury of the day was left tackle Jamaree Salyer, who suffered a hamstring injury in the first half and did not return to the game. Standout cornerback Donte Jackson left the game with injury and was followed by Benjamin St-Juste late in the game. Running back Kimani Vidal was knocked out of the game with a neck injury and did not return.
Chargers' injuries vs. Cowboys could have huge repercussions if serious
The Chargers are already dealing with a laundry list of injuries and don't have much bandwidth to handle more. Even Justin Herbert, who hasn't missed a game this season, is dealing with a broken left hand that has absolutely impacted his performance.
Salyer missing extended time would be yet another blow to an already depleted offensive line. Star tackles Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater have been out for quite some time while their main replacement, Trey Pipkins, hasn't played in recent weeks due to an injury.
The Chargers turned to Bobby Hart at right tackle and Austin Deculus at left tackle once Salyer left the game. That's nightmare fuel against a team like the Houston Texans, which has one of the best defenses in the entire sport.
Jackson has been a standout corner for the Chargers this season and Sunday's game was a reminder of his importance. Sophomore cornerback Cam Hart has a ton of potential but still has holes in his game that were exposed by George Pickens. Hart playing a bigger role in the secondary with Jackson out could be a bad thing in the long run.
The same can be said about St-Juste, who doesn't play as much as Jackson but has been impactful in the playing time he does receive. His injury happened so late in the game that it's hard to gauge the severity.
Losing Vidal would be a massive blow to the offense and would force Omarion Hampton to play more snaps. The Chargers have been cautious with Hampton's snaps since returning from injury and have only been able to do so because of Vidal's breakout this season.
Without Vidal, the Chargers would have to turn to Hassan Haskins as the backup running back. Haskins is a solid special teams player, but he isn't someone you want playing prominent offensive snaps.
Jim Harbaugh had no updates on any of the injured players while talking to reporters after the game. Updates will likely come on Wednesday.
Hopefully, these injuries only impact the Chargers in Week 16 and quickly become a thing of the past. But with the Houston Texans on the docket in six days, these injuries will inevitably be a storyline throughout Christmas week.