Chargers appear to have avoided would-be disaster with training camp injury

The LA Chargers have never had great luck when it comes to injuries and some of that bad luck has bled into the Jim Harbaugh era. Justin Herbert is already in a walking boot with a plantar fascia injury, which he is expected to return from before the regular season, and Joey Bosa already had to leave a joint practice with a hand/wrist injury.

Rookie wide receiver Ladd McConkey joined the list of concerning injuries from Chargers training camp. McConkey went down with an apparent lower-body injury last week during practice and limped off the field. This caused McConkey to miss several practices.

Considering McConkey has a troubling injury history dating back to his time at Georgia (which is why he probably fell to the second round in the first place), Chargers fans instantly became concerned this would be something much bigger for the team.

Thankfully, despite the team sharing next to no information during his recovery, McConkey returned to Chargers training camp on Thursday as a full participant.

Chargers avoid would-be disaster with Ladd McConkey

If McConkey's injury was serious and it caused him to miss any kind of time during the regular season then the Chargers would be in trouble. Herbert already does not have the best supporting cast of weapons and losing McConkey would be a massive blow.

Even though he has not played a single NFL snap yet, McConkey projects to be an impactful receiver for the Chargers. McConkey has similar traits to that of Keenan Allen and can become a safety outlet for Herbert to turn to in the short and intermediate areas.

McConkey might not be the most talented receiver from the 2024 class but he has the potential to be one of the most productive purely because of his situation. If he is not playing, Herbert will not have that same go-to outlet option in the WR room.

Herbert would have two X-receivers who aren't necessarily great at getting separation in Joshua Palmer (who is dealing with his own knee issues) and D.J. Chark and a second-year potential bust in Quentin Johnston as the top three options.

Herbert needs a receiver with McConkey's profile so it is imperative that he gets to the regular season healthy and ready to go. Thankfully, this first time getting shaken up in training camp did not amount to anything serious.

But that does not mean McConkey is completely in the clear. The Chargers need to be very careful with how they handle him and other important players on the roster. Thankfully, if we have learned one thing from Chargers training camp thus far it is that the team is operating with an abundance of caution.