The Los Angeles Chargers are "hosting" the Kansas City Chiefs at Corinthians Arena in São Paulo, Brazil, on Friday to kick off the 2025 NFL season. This will be an incredible opportunity for Jim Harbaugh's squad to prove that they can battle with the heavyweights in the AFC.
Kansas City has certainly had the Bolts' number in recent years, as the Chargers have not beaten their AFC West counterpart since 2021. Despite winning 11 games in Harbaugh's first year at the helm, they got swept once again by the conference's Goliath.
Heading into Friday's matchup, however, Chargers fans are quite confident that the team made the necessary upgrades this offseason to compete. Unfortunately, a key injury to Rashawn Slater in training camp is not the only ailment LA fans may need to worry about in the season opener.
Mekhi Becton suddenly added to injury report against Chiefs
On Friday morning, ESPN's Kris Rhim reported that starting right guard Mekhi Becton was added to the injury report at the last minute due to an illness. This could certainly spell doom for the Chargers as they get ready for kickoff.
With Becton out, or not at 100%, it will be even tougher for Los Angeles to fend off Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones, who is among the best defenders in the league. With question marks surrounding the other interior offensive linemen, Becton was expected to do the heavy lifting.
After all, his last football game was against Jones and Kansas City, as he started on the Philadelphia Eagles' offensive line last season, where he won the Super Bowl in dominant fashion. Becton then signed a two-year, $20 million deal with the Chargers this offseason to sew up the offensive line.
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Becton dealt with a nagging knee injury throughout training camp, which kept him out for several weeks. Injuries have plagued him throughout his career, as he played just one total game in 2021 and 2022 combined.
However, Becton's knee does not seem to be the limiting factor here, but rather, an undisclosed illness. Hopefully, he can push through this and perform at a high level; otherwise, LA may need to employ Jamaree Salyer on Friday night.
With Becton now questionable, that means there is a 50/50 chance of him playing. Ideally, he still suits up and puts together a Michael Jordan-like flu game in a Chargers victory, setting the tone for the 2025 season. If not, Los Angeles is in a tough spot.