Chargers' WR room somehow gets even worse after Week 8 injury report

The LA Chargers trotted out a banged-up receiving corps in Week 7 that rivaled some of the awful rooms Philip Rivers had throughout his career. With that group letting Justin Herbert down despite an elite performance from the Bolts' signal-caller, all eyes turned to the first Chargers injury report of the week to see if there would be any reprieve.

Unfortunately, help does not appear to be on the way. In fact, the wide receiver room may actively be worse in Week 8 than it was in Week 7.

After playing through a lingering injury against the Arizona Cardinals, rookie wideout Ladd McConkey did not practice for the Bolts on Wednesday. He was one of three wideouts who did not practice, alongside Quentin Johnston and Derius Davis, and was one of the six pass-catchers who was on the injury report.

Chargers injury report spells disaster for the Bolts vs. the Saints

McConkey being a DNP does not bode well for his chance to play on Sunday against the Saints. While it certainly does not guarantee he won't play, it greatly reduces the chances of coming off a Monday night game.

The same can be said for Davis and Johnston, who both did not play in Week 7 but don't appear to be making enough progress for Week 8. Again, anything can happen, but it is hard to be optimistic about their chances against the Saints.

DJ Chark Jr. may offer some reprieve if he is able to suit up after logging a limited day in practice on Wednesday. Chark has not played a snap for the Chargers this season and has left the team without a true X receiver. With him in the fold, the overall dynamic of the receiver room makes more sense.

However, adding Chark to a room that is already depleted is like putting a bandage on a bursting dam. It may stop some of the leaking, but it does not address the problem at hand (which might have to be addressed via trade at this point).

To make matters worse, Hayden Hurst continues to log DNPs with a groin injury that sidelined him in Week 7. Hurst was expected to miss multiple games, so this is not a surprise, but it certainly does not make matters better.

And of course, Week 7's leading pass-catcher, Will Dissly, just had to log a DNP on Wednesday as icing on the cake. As the old saying goes, when it rains, it pours.

Some Chargers on the injury report will end up suiting up against the Saints but if we assume the worst then the remaining options for Herbert really are bleak. The wide receiver room would consist of Joshua Palmer and a bunch of practice squad players while the tight end room would be led by Stone Smartt and even more practice squad players.