We're already past the point where it's urgent to resurrect the Los Angeles Chargers offense. At 0-3, they quite simply need to get something going on that side of the ball, or their season could quickly be over before they even hit their Week 7 bye.
We've seen the blame placed (and ignored or deflected) all over the roster. There are certainly adjustments happening across the roster to Mike McDaniel's scheme, and Justin Herbert hasn't had the most inspiring stretch of play through three games. The offense may be overcomplicated. The interior of the offensive line may very well be at fault, as may the receivers who have failed to get open. We likely won't ever get a singular answer on why the Chargers offense has failed to find any momentum to this point in the season, unless there's a miracle fix that emerges in the coming weeks.
But one thing we do know for certain is that this offense can't afford to lose Ladd McConkey, at least not entirely.
He already played on a limited snap share over the last two weeks as he nursed a rib injury he suffered in Week 1. But after appearing on yesterday's injury report as a limited participant in practice with a foot injury, McConkey was listed as a DNP on Thursday. Being downgraded for an entirely separate injury just three days before a pivotal game is never a good sign.
McConkey DNP. Eboigbe and Jackson limited in their return to practice. Mitchell and Molden still limited as well. https://t.co/i5n6tmaapm
— Noah Furtado (@bynoahfurtado) October 1, 2026
Against a secondary like the Seahawks', it may be a death blow.
The Chargers need Ladd McConkey—and his injury status on Thursday was far from a positive sign
It's not as though McConkey has put up superstar numbers so far this season. Through three weeks, he's totaled 183 yards and one touchdown on 12 receptions.
But that lack of pure production isn't his fault. He's the only receiver in the Los Angeles offense that has actually been able to create short and intermediate opportunities for Herbert, and the breakdowns of the offense as a whole have been a result either of McDaniel's schematic inability to free up Tre' Harris and Quentin Johnston or those players' own deficiencies as deep route runners and YAC threats.
Johnston has six receptions for 64 yards to this point in the season. Harris has a couple of explosive plays under his belt (and he looked more potent in Week 3), but he's totaled just 10 receptions for 149 yards this season.
Granted, the Bills secondary looks like a solid component of one of the league's most surprisingly staunch defenses this season. But the Chargers also failed to get anything going against the Las Vegas Raiders and the Arizona Cardinals. The Cardinals are 30th in defensive EPA per passing play. The Raiders are much improved at eighth in that category, but neither can truly compare to Seattle—who have allowed the fewest passing yards and the fewest net yards per attempt in the NFL this season.
They have played three sub-par offenses in the New England Patriots, Cardinals, and Jayden Daniels-less Washington Commanders, and there are some doubts about the ultimate viability of that unit after the departure of Tariq Woolen this offseason. But can you rank the Los Angeles offense anywhere else than among that class of teams at this point in the campaign?
If McConkey is out—or even if he's slightly more limited than he's been the past two weeks—the Los Angeles offense may very well be dead in the water trying to get anything going against a staunch Seattle defense before the game even kicks off. We don't have any confirmation of what McConkey's true injury or status for Sunday's game may be, but it's certainly a storyline to monitor as the Chargers round off their slate of practices tomorrow.
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