As the Los Angeles Chargers rounded into the third week of training camp, there was ample reason to be optimistic.
Virtually all of the rookies had shown out to this point, and many of the pieces on the edges of the roster were, at the very least, fighting to earn their place. With clear strides being taken by Omarion Hampton, Ladd McConkey, and even Justin Herbert in their understanding of Mike McDaniel's offense, the sky seemed to be the limit for this team the closer we got to the season.
For all intents and purposes, it still is. But there had to be some measure of gloom in there somewhere.
First, Tyler Biadasz, whom the Chargers signed to a three-year, $30 million deal this offseason, went down with an apparent knee injury and was carted off the field in joint practice with the San Francisco 49ers. Then OLB Kyle Kennard limped out of practice with a trainer after suffering an apparent lower body injury. Quentin Johnston, just a few reps later, did the same.
We don't have concrete updates yet on Biadasz and Kennard, but Chargers fans can take some solace in Johnston. According to Adam Schefter, Johnston is "totally fine" and will miss a minimal amount of practice time, if any.
Chargers WR Quentin Johnston is not expected to miss much, if any, practice time. He is, in the words of a source, “totally fine.” https://t.co/p9KuY3w0s4
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 18, 2026
While it can't outweigh the dismalness of a potential injury to Biadasz, it's a dose of good news that Chargers fans desperately needed today.
Tyler Biadasz remains the primary injury concern as Chargers prepare for their second preseason matchup
It's almost impossible for any NFL team to get through training camp without some sort of troubling injury. The Chargers had gone suspiciously without one until Tuesday.
Of course, when it rains, it pours. While Biadasz was meant to be the starting center for the Chargers (and a massive upgrade over what they got last season out of the now-retired Bradley Bozeman), Johnston will serve as a major component of McDaniel's air attack. He doesn't necessarily have the same YAC skill set that McConkey presents, but he has the speed and the athleticism to be a true intermediate and downfield threat.
Kennard, meanwhile, is fighting to make the roster as UDFA Nadame Tucker puts up a real challenge in the outside linebacker room. Kennard is coming off a disappointing and largely unproductive rookie season, and he needs to impress over the remainder of camp if he's going to stick with Los Angeles for another year.
Even if the Chargers need to hold Johnston out of practice until next week, that's not the end of the world. He simply needs to enter the season healthy to maximize what he can be in McDaniel's offense. We don't have a concrete update on Kennard, but it doesn't seem to be anything serious based on the lack of update or comment in the Chargers' press availability today.
Biadasz's injury, though, looked gruesome, and it's unlikely we'll get any sort of update until tomorrow when the medical staff is able to finalize their testing. He wasn't able to put any weight on his injured leg, and the use of a medical cart in practice is almost never a positive sign.
On the whole, it's not as bad as it could've been. But until we get more information on Biadasz, there will be a certain degree of gloom hanging over the Chargers as they continue to prepare for their Week 2 preseason matchup against San Francisco.
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