The Chargers’ injury situation keeps piling up, and the latest concern lands on a player they were clearly hoping to use right away.
Keaton Mitchell has now missed six straight practices after sitting out Thursday, and that comes after the Chargers built their initial 53-man roster knowing the free-agent running back came with an injury history. The team carried only three running backs to start, but Mitchell’s absence has put that plan under a spotlight.
General manager Joe Hortiz tried to calm things down by comparing Mitchell’s situation to Denzel Perryman’s injured reserve stint.
“He’s working through something, but nothing [major] Let's put it this way: we could put him down on IR today like we did with Denzel [Perryman] and we did not do that,” Hortiz told reporters. “So if that kind of answers your question.”
That doesn’t completely settle what happens next. Mitchell could still end up missing the first four games of the season, since an injured reserve move would require that stretch before he could return. The Chargers would also have room to shuffle the roster if they need to buy time.
Even with that uncertainty, the picture is pretty clear: the Chargers appear to be handling Mitchell carefully, likely because of what he brings and because of what they want him to become in Justin Herbert’s offense. The fit is obvious enough that the team may not want to rush anything.
For now, the depth chart behind him is thin. Omarion Hampton and Kimani Vidal are the only other running backs on the roster, and Vidal already showed last year he can step in when needed. If Mitchell has to miss time, the Chargers could also look to the practice squad for help from Amar Johnson or Gregory Desrosiers.
Mitchell now joins the group of Chargers worth watching closely when the first injury report of the season comes out next week. Meanwhile, the team’s broader injury headaches keep growing after Tyler Biadasz’s season-ending injury, Rashawn Slater’s setback early in camp, and the addition of a starting linebacker on injured reserve.
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