Injuries have been the story of the LA Chargers' season in 2025. From Rashawn Slater's patellar tendon in training camp to Khalil Mack's arm in Week 2 to Joe Alt's ankle in Week 4, the Chargers have missed out on plenty of star power early in the 2025 season.
Derwin James it the latest star added to the list. James suffered an ankle injury early in Thursday's game against the Minnesota Vikings. James was initially tagged as questionable to return, although he never came back in and returned to the sideline in street clothes after halftime.
James didn't just return in street clothes, though. He was sporting something that made every Chargers fan's heart drop when they realized it: a walking boot. That can't be good.
Derwin James' injury could end up being bleak for the Chargers
This isn't the first time a Chargers player has been seen in a walking boot after a game. And the two other notable times it happened it wound up burning the Chargers.
Alt was seen in a walking boot after he suffered his ankle injury in Week 4. The elite left tackle ended up avoiding an IR stint but he did miss three games. In those three games, plus the game he was injured in, the Chargers went 1-3.
Rookie running back Omarion Hampton was the next star to get the cursed walking boot. Hampton suffered an ankle injury that didn't appear to be that serious against the Washington Commanders. Surely enough, he was put on IR and his return date continues to be pushed back. Initially, reports indicated he could return after four weeks.
With this being an ankle injury, the concern is that James suffered the same fate as those two stars: a high-ankle sprains. High-ankle sprains are variable and it's hard to slap a concrete timeframe on it. It can be three weeks, as it was with Alt, or it could be upwards of two months. It really all depends on the severity and the recovery process.
Heck, Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy suffered a high-ankle sprain in Week 2 and he has not been seen since, missing six games. A six-week recovery, not counting Thursday night, would put James on a Week 15 return.
We won't know if James actually suffered a high-ankle sprain until the team runs tests. But with how the 2025 season goes, it's hard not to worry about his future given what happened to the previous Chargers who put on the walking boot.