The Chiefs are heading into their bye sitting at 4-0, but the next time they take the field, they could be catching the Chargers at exactly the wrong time for Los Angeles.
The AFC West matchup in Week 6 is still ahead, yet the early signs are ugly for the Chargers. They haven’t won a game, they’re four back of Kansas City, and now the injury situation along the offensive line is turning into a full-blown problem.
The biggest concern is Rashawn Slater. He left Sunday’s loss to the Seattle Seahawks with an ankle injury, and the outlook sounds bleak. Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh said the team is still evaluating the injury as it gets ready for Week 5 against the Denver Broncos, but Bolt Beat’s Jason Reed doesn’t sound optimistic about Slater being ready for Kansas City.
"It would be very shocking if Slater suits up against the Chiefs," said Reed. "He is believed to have suffered a high ankle sprain, the same injury that knocked Joe Alt out for three weeks last year.
Two games into his return, Alt aggravated the injury and missed the rest of the year. I expect the Chargers to be extremely patient with Slater."
That would be a major hit, especially because Los Angeles is already scrambling up front. The Chargers lost starting center Tyler Biadasz to a season-ending injury earlier this year.
Rookie Jake Slaughter moved to center in his place rather than to left guard as planned, which pushed Kayode Awosika into the lineup. Then Awosika went down too, and Trevor Penning has been filling in.
It’s been one injury after another for a unit that’s barely holding together.
Joe Alt gives the Chargers at least a sliver of hope. He also left the Seahawks game, suffering a neck injury in the second quarter, but Reed said the situation looks less severe than Slater’s.
"As for Alt, it's really hard to tell at this point in time. They have been more hush-hush about his injury status, although it does not seem as serious as Slater's. I'd guess it's about 75-25 that Alt plays against the Chiefs."
If Alt can’t go, fourth-round pick Travis Burke would be next up, and the depth chart would get thin in a hurry after that. If Slater ends up on injured reserve, the Chargers may need to add help just to keep the position from collapsing.
There’s still another week to go before Kansas City and Los Angeles meet, and the Chargers first have to get through Denver in Week 5. If they lose that one, the season could already be close to over, which would change the way the team handles injured players. Either way, the Chiefs may be lining up against a battered offensive line when Week 6 arrives.
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