The Chargers beat the Titans on Sunday, but may have lost their season in the process. First, Bobby Hart left the game with a groin and ankle injury. Then, Joe Alt was ruled questionable to return to the game after re-injuring the same ankle he hurt against the Giants.
On Monday, the team announced that Joe Alt would have season-ending surgery to treat his high ankle sprain. Alt's 2025 campaign ends after just being able to start and finish four games. The Chargers went 4-0 in those contests. They were just 2-3 in games missed or exited during due to injury.
Joe Alt is done for the season-and that's not the only bad injury update the Chargers got today.
HC Jim Harbaugh also was asked about the timeline for Omarion Hampton's return. He said that the rookie running back would be unlikely to have his 21-day practice window opened until after the teams' Week 12 BYE. Week 10 was technically Hampton's first chance to return since he had missed four games. But as NFL Network's Mike Garafolo reported when the injury first happened, it appears the absence will be longer than the IR minimum.
This takes a return for Hampton against either the Steelers or Jaguars off the table. In addition to the hits along the offensive line, the Chargers keep taking them in the running back room. Hassan Haskins hit injured reserve before the Titans win and will miss at least three games. The run game really struggled against the Titans as Kimani Vidal and the interior offensive line never quite got going. Jaret Patterson had a solid day, but it's still just not an NFL level backfield that will produce stable, consistent results from drive to drive without Hampton's presence.
The Chargers are already facing an uphill battle vs. Pittsburgh's pass rush next week. The Steelers defense ranks second best in the NFL in pass rush win rate.
Obviously, from a common sense perspective-T.J. Watt and Cam Heyward against the Chargers' projected offensive line feels like a mismatch. But not getting the run game going against Pittsburgh
on top of that would make it an even worse struggle. Either Vidal or Patterson will need to be at their best, and that feels less likely under the current offensive circumstances without Hampton.
From an offensive line and running back perspective, there could be more moves for the Chargers to make before the trade deadline tomorrow. But right now, it feels like the Chargers continue to take losses that they have no answers for. Alt was already devastating, but no Hampton until Week 13 at earliest is a rather depressing cherry on top. That timeline means Hampton's return game could be the team's second matchup with the Raiders.
The short-handed Chargers will look to extend their current two game win streak when the Steelers come to SoFi Stadium on Sunday.