The 2024 NFL season has not been a good one as far as injuries are concerned league-wide, and unfortunately, the Chargers are one of the teams dealt with the some of the worst fate of all as they add two more players to injured reserve.
Over the past two months, the list has become crowded, with the latest additions, WR Simi Fehoko and LB Junior Colson, bringing the total number of players on IR to ten. Although neither has been the biggest contributor so far, this disturbing trend does the team no favors in its pursuit of making the playoffs.
Regarding the offense, losing another receiver is the last thing quarterback Justin Herbert needs at the midway point of the season. It's bad enough he lost most of his best offensive weapons in free agency earlier this year, most notably Austin Ekeler, Gerald Everett, and Mike Williams, and it's become even worse with the players signed in their place spending more time on the bench than on the field.
The hope is that D.J. Chark will return soon after returning to practice a few weeks ago and quickly become the player Herbert needs moving forward. But the team has now signed Jalen Reagor to the 53-man roster to help. Hopefully, we see more positive play for the journeyman receiver because it hasn't been great so far.
Looking at the defense, the loss of Junior Colson might not be the worst thing imaginable, but losing depth is never great, either.
The rookie has been fine in the five games he's played, but expectations are tempered, given his inexperience in the league. The main issue is losing a rotational piece of the roster as the season heads into the home stretch, and the schedule isn't about to get any easier. In fact, it might be getting more challenging with the Bucs and Ravens coming up and three more AFC West games to play.
Because we're now entering Week 10, it would be great if this could be the last bad news regarding injuries the Chargers could get. A playoff push will be much harder to accomplish if the IR list continues to grow. So here's to hoping that doesn't happen!