To say the Los Angeles Chargers had a rough start to the 2026 regular season would be a massive understatement, don't you think?
If it wasn't bad enough for the Bolts to lose to the Arizona Cardinals, who many predicted would be the absolute worst team in the NFL coming into this new campaign, they also lost Ladd McConkey to a rib injury late in the third quarter after the third-year wideout took a big hit from Cardinals linebacker Mack Wilson Sr. while attempting to make a leaping catch on an in route in the middle of the field. McConkey, who was one of the lone bright spots in the 26-14 loss, tallying five grabs for 82 yards and a touchdown, did not return.
KeAndre Lambert-Smith was also lost to a hamstring injury and was placed on injured reserve on Tuesday, meaning he'll miss at least the next four games, which won't impact the passing game much, as he only took two snaps, both on special teams. Derius Davis was also injured on the lone pass thrown his way by Justin Herbert, which actually resulted in an interception, after falling awkwardly on his shoulder, but he at least returned.
So, it was a rough day. As such, given these injuries, the Chargers brought veteran Marquez Valdes-Scantling in for a workout on Tuesday afternoon, and on Tuesday night, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported that the soon-to-be 32-year-old had been signed to the practice squad.
While Harbaugh gave McConkey the cliché day-to-day designation on Monday as LA begins to prepare for its Week 2 matchup with the Las Vegas Raiders, the Valdes-Scantling signing naturally has plenty of people wondering if the injury is more severe. But even if McConkey can't go against the Silver & Black and Valdes-Scantling makes his way onto the active roster, with all due respect, let's not pretend the latter is the threat he once was.
The Charges are Marquez Valdes-Scantling's seventh team since he won a Super Bowl with the Chiefs
Taken by the Green Bay Packers in the fifth round of the 2018 NFL Draft with the 174th overall selection, Valdes-Scantling had a solid four-year run in Titletown, catching 123 passes for 2,153 yards and 13 touchdowns.
Ahead of the 2022 season, he signed a three-year, $30 million deal with the Kansas City Chiefs, with whom he won two titles in two years, playing a big part in the second championship, as he caught a 16-yard touchdown pass from Patrick Mahomes in the team's 25-22 overtime victory against the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl 58.
But it was at that point that his career took a turn, as the Chargers are the seventh team he's been with since he left Kansas City.
After splitting the 2024 campaign between the Buffalo Bills and New Orleans Saints, he joined the Seattle Seahawks in 2025, only to be cut ahead of the regular season, at which point he signed with the San Francisco 49ers, with whom he appeared in five games before being released again after landing on injured reserve with a calf injury. He closed the season playing five games with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Valdes-Scantling signed a one-year deal with the Dallas Cowboys this past April but was released as part of final roster cuts. To be fair, he was nursing a knee injury during training camp, but again, let's not pretend he's the threat he used to be. That's not to say he wouldn't be a decent depth piece as a fourth or fifth option for Herbert, but he's obviously not McConkey.
Chargers signed Gary Jennings from the practice squad to replace KeAndre Lambert-Smith
In other news, in the corresponding move to replace Lambert-Smith, Los Angeles also signed wideout Gary Jennings to the active roster from the practice squad, which conversely made room for Valdes-Scantling.
But this could just be a temporary move, as Jennings, a 2019 fourth-round pick of the Seahawks, has spent time with eight different NFL teams before joining the Chargers this offseason, but has only appeared in one regular-season game during his career, that coming during his rookie year with the Miami Dolphins, with whom he signed after Seattle waived him midway through the season.
The 29-year-old has also been with three different XFL/UFL teams, but to his credit, he did actually earn All-UFL honors just this past spring on special teams with the St. Louis Battlehawks, as he was among the league leaders with 441 kick return yards and made 16 total tackles (12 solo) in coverage.
Now, we just wait to see how this whole situation plays out.
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