Injuries followed the LA Chargers around like a shadow during the 2022 season and after watching the team clean house and hire a new training staff, fans were hopeful that the 2023 season would have fewer injury-related speed bumps to overcome.
Thus far in 2023, it has not been terrible for the Chargers but there have been some notable injuries. Joey Bosa was limited to pass-rushing downs in Week 2 because of a hamstring injury while veterans Eric Kendricks and Austin Ekeler missed the game entirely.
There was not a lot of information about either injury and both came as a surprise leading into Week 2's game against the Tennessee Titans. Fans looking for more information from the team did not get that after Week 2, as Brandon Staley's update was as vague as it comes.
Same answer from Staley on LB Eric Kendricks (hamstring) https://t.co/d2r7vHgez4
— Daniel Popper (@danielrpopper) September 18, 2023
Brandon Staley's update for Austin Ekeler and Eric Kendricks is bleak for the Chargers
Staley didn't outright come out and say that both guys are going to miss substantial time but fans have a reason to be worried after this kind of update from the head coach. There were countless times last season when injured players would have updates like this only for said players to miss more time than expected.
Both players are more likely to suffer long-term injuries as well. Age very much plays a factor in a player's durability. Both Ekeler and Kendricks have put serious miles on their bodies and that complicates the situation with injuries.
Ekeler is toeing that line where running backs in the NFL start to regress while Kendricks is 31 years old and has almost a decade of experience playing linebacker in the NFL. All of those hits wear on the body.
Unfortunately, this is a classic trend for the Chargers. The team brings in or trusts in older players on the roster only for said older players to get hurt. This is exactly why the Kendricks signing was bashed by another NFL executive in the first place. Now, those criticisms are coming true.
Hopefully, this non-answer from Staley can mean something positive and could be some kind of strategic advantage he is trying to create against the Minnesota Vikings. In reality, based on how last year went, it is probably a bad sign.