LA Chargers: 4 keys to winning the AFC West in 2021
By Jason Reed
3. Stay healthy in key areas
Injuries are going to happen in the NFL and expecting a team to stay completely injury-free is absurd. Some fans didn't like when I made this point before the season but there was going to be starters on the Chargers that got hurt throughout the course of the season.
That is simply part of the game. Find me the football team that never suffered an injury to a starter and I will find you a Madden simulation with injuries turned off. It doesn't happen. You can't play a physical sport like football and expect zero injuries.
That being said, the LA Chargers need to continue monitoring situations and continue being cautious with certain players in certain areas. There absolutely are more impactful injuries than others and as long as the Chargers stay healthy in those key areas then they should be fine.
So what are those key areas? If I had to pick the five players, in order, it would be Justin Herbert (obviously), Derwin James, Joey Bosa, Austin Ekeler and Rashawn Slater.
Yes, I wouldn't include Keenan Allen and Mike Williams because in theory, if one of them gets banged up for a few games the other could step up. Now if both got hurt that would be a serious problem.
More injuries will happen this season and it is important as fans to not panic about every injury. Let's just hope and cross our fingers that the team does not have the kind of impactful injury that essentially ends a season.