Los Angeles’ offense took an early hit Sunday when tight end David Njoku had to be carted off in the second quarter of the Chargers’ Week 2 game against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Njoku went down after a running play and immediately looked unable to bear weight on his right leg. Team staff helped him off the field, and the Chargers later labeled him questionable to return. He was then taken to the locker room for further evaluation and did not come back right away.
It’s a tough break for a player the Chargers were counting on to be part of the passing game. Njoku arrived in Los Angeles during the offseason and wasted little time becoming one of Justin Herbert’s targets. In Week 1, he caught five passes for 58 yards in the loss to the Arizona Cardinals.
He was involved early against Las Vegas, too, before exiting. Njoku finished with one catch for nine yards on three targets.
If he’s forced to miss more time, Los Angeles may need to lean more heavily on Charlie Kolar and rookie Oronde Gadsden II at tight end. Both could see a bigger role if Njoku can’t go.
That would also increase the burden on Herbert and the rest of the receiving corps, especially with the Raiders defense already making life difficult for the quarterback. The Chargers are still waiting for a clearer update, and the team has not offered a more specific diagnosis or a timetable for Njoku’s return.
For now, his status is one of the biggest things to watch as the second half of Week 2 unfolds.
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