Already down by two scores to the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Los Angeles Chargers were the recipients of some bad news. Edge rusher Joey Bosa is out for the rest of Sunday’s game after suffering a groin injury in the first half, the club announced.
Injury update on Los Angeles Chargers DE Joey Bosa
The Chargers defense is a star-studded unit, but many of their key players have lengthy injury histories. Safety Derwin James has missed entire seasons. Trade acquisition Khalil Mack has dealt with health question marks. And Bosa has been sidelined for his fair share of games.
LA ruled out Bosa at halftime, so there’s at least some concern this could be a long-term injury. Losing Bosa for any period of time would be devastating for the Chargers’ defense, especially because Los Angeles has little to no depth behind him and Mack.
Kyle Van Noy, whom the Chargers signed to a one-year deal over the offseason, can play many different positions along the defensive front. If Bosa misses a few games, Van Noy can step in on the edge. He’s a capable run defender and can rush the passer, but it goes without saying that he’s no Bosa.
The Chargers want to play with light boxes and deploy extra bodies in the coverage game. That strategy will be all the more difficult if Bosa is unavailable.
Rashawn Slater also hurt
As if the Chargers’ injury luck had gotten bad enough, left tackle Rashawn Slater went to the locker room with a left arm or shoulder injury. Slater, a first-round pick in the 2021 draft, has quickly become one of the best offensive tackles in the NFL.
Los Angeles can’t afford any more offensive line injuries. Center Corey Linsley suffered an injury on Thursday Night Football in Week 2 and was inactive for Week 3. With both Slater (for now) and Linsley out, the Chargers are rolling with backups at both left tackle and center.
LA also came into today’s game without wide receiver Keenan Allen and cornerback J.C. Jackson. The Chargers’ injury issues seem to exist in perpetuity.