Joe Alt hasn't been seen by LA Chargers fans since Week 4 when he suffered a high-ankle sprain against the New York Giants. On Thursday, Alt took a huge first step in returning to the field less than three full weeks after his injury.
Alt returned to practice for the first time since the injury on Thursday. High-ankle sprains usually carry a 4-6 week recovery time depending on the severity, so Alt's return to football activity is ahead of schedule.
His status for Week 7's game against the Indianapolis Colts is still up in the air. However, the star second-year tackle did not rule out the possibility of suiting up for the Bolts on Sunday.
"I'm not going to say I can or can't," Alt said, via ESPN's Kris Rhim. "I'm just going to say that, like I said, I'm back on the field now and we're just going to continue to progress and see where it means for me going forward."
Joe Alt returns to practice ahead of Chargers' Week 7 game vs. Colts
Alt potentially returning in Week 7 would be a true blessing for the Chargers. Trey Pipkins, who missed Week 6 due to injury, does not appear as if he is playing in Week 7. With Zion Johnson's breakout season, Alt returning would give the Chargers at least one reliable side of the offensive line.
It's possible Alt may play but not be 100%. Alt was asked if his ankle is currently 100%, to which he refused to put a percentage but said it varies day by day. The next step, based on this response, is to see how the ankle responds to Thursday's practice.
This truly makes Alt a game-time decision. Expect his status going into the weekend to either be questionable or doubtful.
It's also worth noting that the Chargers have a short week following the Colts game. Los Angeles will be back in action, hosting the Minnesota Vikings on Thursday Night next week. It's very possible that Alt's return to practice is to give him a one-week runway to return on primetime. Having him come back, only to play again on three days' rest, may be too risky.
Either way, Alt took a step in the right direction by returning to practice on Thursday. Coupled with Khalil Mack's return on Wednesday, things are finally looking up for the Chargers health-wise.