Nobody expected Bobby Hart to get meaningful snaps on the LA Chargers offensive line this season. Even fewer people expected him to put together quality snaps four years after his last true NFL start.
Hart isn't Joe Alt or Rashawn Slater but he has certainly held his own at tackle while the Chargers deal with a slew of offensive line injuries. Unfortunately, Hart joined the list of injured offensive linemen on Sunday, and it may be worse than fans expected.
Hart left Week 9's win against the Tennessee Titans in the second half with what was originally reported as a groin injury. However, after the game, head coach Jim Harbaugh provided more context. It's not just a groin injury; Hart is also dealing with an ankle injury.
Bobby Hart gets second injury designation as Chargers drown with offensive line injuries
When it rains it pours and the Chargers have been in a full monsoon this season. It started with Rashawn Slater in training camp and has touched seemingly every player who has suited up at tackle for the Bolts this season.
That includes Joe Alt, who suffered his second high-ankle sprain of the season on Sunday before Hart's injury. Alt missed three games with the ankle injury and now it appears surgery is not out of the equation for the star tackle.
This forced the Chargers to play Jamaree Salyer at tackle, which is a move fans have wanted to see for weeks as the Bolts dealt with various ailments. Salyer succeeded as a fill-in tackle his rookie season but the results at various positions since have been mixed.
Los Angeles didn't need to lean on Salyer this season with Hart's sudden emergence as a quality offensive lineman. Hart actually ranked seventh among all offensive tackles in pressure rate allowed this season. Granted, it's a small sample size, but Hart was somehow, some way, playing like a top-10 tackle.
So of course he had to get hurt. That has been the story of the Chargers season. If Hart has to miss time the Bolts will once again have to turn to Austin Deculus, who has played like a bottom-10 offensive tackle this season (and he may not be No. 2 through 9).
Alt will undoubtedly miss time. The Chargers' unsung hero missing time on top of that is salt in the wound. But should Chargers fans have expected anything different with how this season has gone? Probably not.