The Chargers head to Seattle already in a tough spot, and the injury list isn’t doing them any favors.
Los Angeles returned from Western New York after dropping to 0-3, and the roster looks just as battered coming into Week 4. The offense, already searching for answers, added more names to the injury report this week, including Ladd McConkey, who has been managing cracked ribs since Week 1 and was limited by a foot issue to open practice. McConkey has still been the most dependable target in the Chargers passing game through three weeks, even while limited.
Keaton Mitchell is another offensive piece worth watching. He was seen in a walking boot after practice, and the Chargers later listed him as limited with an ankle injury.
Mitchell gave the offense a burst in Week 3 against Buffalo, so any setback there matters. It could be a precaution, but a boot on a skill player usually raises eyebrows.
The Chargers also remain thin up front. Left guard Kayode Awosika is still out with a fibula injury and has no timetable to return.
That leaves the interior offensive line in rough shape, with the team down to its fifth left guard option and right guard Cole Strange struggling so far in 2026. At this point, the Chargers don’t have many clean fixes beyond signing a veteran or leaning on one of their sixth-round guards.
There is at least one potential reinforcement on the horizon. Branson Taylor will be eligible to come off injured reserve after the Seattle game, though there’s still no word on exactly when he’ll be ready.
At tight end, Charlie Kolar is still not practicing after breaking his forearm in Week 2 against the Raiders and needing surgery. He’s expected to miss Week 4 as well. Hayden Rucci, signed last week from the Miami Dolphins practice squad, handled most of Kolar’s role and looks set to keep doing that for now.
Defensively, the Chargers have their own concerns. Dalvin Tomlinson still hasn’t practiced, and Justin Eboigbe joined the report with an eye injury. In the secondary, Derwin James was limited with a hamstring injury, while Elijah Molden also returned to practice in limited fashion.
Cornerback Donte Jackson is in concussion protocol after getting hurt against the Bills, and his status will be one to monitor closely. Once Jackson left, undrafted rookie Rodney Shelley was thrown into the fire, and while he was put in a rough spot trying to handle DJ Moore one-on-one, he also had several mental mistakes that led to big plays for Buffalo.
The bigger issue is the depth chart itself. The Chargers leaned rotational in the cornerback room this offseason, and the result has been a thin group that’s hard to patch together on the fly. Seattle has plenty of receivers to challenge that weakness, including Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
Los Angeles has to find a way to piece things together quickly. An 0-4 start would be a brutal place to land in 2026.
In Other News...
Chargers Rough Start Just Got More Embarrassing Off The Field
The Chargers rough opening to the 2026 season has already left plenty for the football side to answer for, but now the noise around the team is spilling well beyond the standings. Former Love Island USA star Jaiden Bacciocco said on a podcast that after visiting the Chargers preseason training camp, she received direct messages from six players, adding another awkward layer to a team already trying to steady itself after an 0-3 start.
Bacciocco also said one player blocked her the next morning and suggested the messaging pattern involved players reaching out to multiple women. For a team already taking heat for its on-field performance, it is the kind of off-field chatter that only makes the early-season spotlight harsher, and it leaves the Chargers with more to manage than just their record. [Read more 🡒]
Jim Harbaugh Quietly Shaped A QB Move Chargers Fans Will Notice
The quarterback carousel around the league has a Chargers connection now, even if the move itself happened elsewhere. After the Giants lost Jaxson Dart to injury, they swung a trade for J.J. McCarthy from the Vikings, and before they closed the deal, head coach John Harbaugh checked in with his brother Jim Harbaugh in Los Angeles. For Chargers fans, it is another reminder that Jim Harbaughs voice carries weight well beyond the building in El Segundo.
Jim Harbaugh reportedly came away supportive of McCarthy, and that endorsement helped shape the Giants thinking as they moved forward. It is not the kind of headline that changes the Chargers depth chart, but it does show how interconnected the league can be when a head coach with Harbaughs reputation is in the mix. For a fan base watching every quarterback ripple across the NFL, the more interesting question is how much more often his opinion ends up nudging decisions like this. [Read more 🡒]
Chargers Suddenly Face A Justin Herbert Weapons Dilemma
The Chargers receiver room is already under a lot of pressure, and the latest personnel shuffle around the league only adds to the conversation. Injuries and uneven play have left Los Angeles searching for more reliable options around Justin Herbert, with Brenen Thompson and Quentin Johnston among the names dealing with health issues or inconsistency while the pass-catching group tries to stabilize.
Odell Beckham Jr. being available again gives the Chargers another name to consider as they look for help, especially with the offense needing more dependable targets. It is the kind of situation that forces a front office to weigh fit, urgency and upside all at once, and in Los Angeles the question is no longer whether Herbert could use more weapons, but which move makes the most sense and how quickly it has to happen. [Read more 🡒]