The Chargers are already dealing with a long injury report, and the biggest name on it is the one that matters most for Sunday’s AFC West matchup with the Raiders: Ladd McConkey.
McConkey left Los Angeles’ opener against the Arizona Cardinals with a rib injury and was on the field for just 27 of a possible 55 offensive snaps. He did not practice Wednesday, putting his status for the Week 2 game at SoFi Stadium in real doubt.
Jim Harbaugh didn’t exactly sound encouraging when asked about his top receiver.
"I know he's working diligently at his rehab, and we'll see how the week unfolds," Harbaugh said.
McConkey wasn’t the only Charger sidelined for Wednesday’s first practice of the week. Teair Tart, Khalil Mack, Elijah Molden and Trey Pipkins III all did not participate, while Deane Leonard and Dalvin Tomlinson were limited. Akheem Mesidor and Derius Davis were full participants.
Mack’s absence was simply a rest day, but the other names are more concerning. Tart is listed with an ankle issue, Molden with a hamstring injury and Pipkins with a knee injury. Lower-body problems can turn quickly, and Los Angeles is clearly not giving much away.
That matters because McConkey is more than just the Chargers’ top wide receiver. He’s the piece that keeps the offense from coming apart.
Ted Nguyen of The Athletic noted that the Chargers’ offense "wasn't functional" without him, and the rest of the roster doesn’t leave much room to absorb that kind of loss. There isn’t enough help in the run game, along the interior offensive line or from the supporting cast to make that easy.
If McConkey can’t go, that would be a major break for a Raiders defense that is still trying to sort itself out early in the season.
The same goes for Tart and Molden. Tart is Los Angeles’ best player on the defensive interior, and he could create problems for a Raiders offensive line that had Spencer Burford as its weakest spot in Week 1.
If Tart plays, new Chargers defensive coordinator Chris O'Leary could try to attack that matchup. If Tart doesn’t, that’s one less problem for Las Vegas to solve.
Molden is a dependable veteran on the back end, and he played well against Arizona. That would be another useful edge for a Raiders receiving group that hasn’t exactly made a splash yet.
Pipkins III is less of a concern for Los Angeles, since he was part of the Chargers’ unusual left guard rotation in Week 1. And for now, the other players on the report don’t seem to be trending toward missing the game unless something changes later in the week.
Still, even one or two absences would shift things in Las Vegas’ direction, even with Brock Bowers "on the mend," Darien Porter missing practice Wednesday and Ashton Jeanty still dealing with his ankle injury. The Raiders are already short-handed in spots of their own, but if the Chargers end up missing McConkey and a couple of other key contributors, Sunday’s matchup gets a lot more manageable for Las Vegas.
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