SEATTLE — Pro Bowl right tackle Joe Alt went down and out first, heading to the locker room because of a neck injury near the end of the first half of the Chargers’ loss Sunday to the Seattle Seahawks. Travis Burke, a rookie, replaced Alt at one key spot on the offensive line.
Pro Bowl left tackle Rashawn Slater went out next, leaving for the locker room in the fourth quarter because of an ankle injury that required him to wear a protective walking boot and to use a cane by day’s end. In between the two, left guard Trevor Penning was forced out with a head injury.
By game’s end, the Chargers surrounded veteran right guard Cole Strange with four rookies. In addition to Burke, they also had starting center Jake Slaughter shifting to left guard to replace Penning, Jacob Spomer replacing Slaughter and Logan Taylor replacing Slater to protect Justin Herbert.
“Those four, very pleased with how they played,” Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh said of the rookies, including Spomer, who made his NFL debut.
Harbaugh said he did not have updates on the severity of the injuries suffered by Alt, Slater and Penning. The Chargers must provide an injury report Wednesday after practice, so it might be a few days before their conditions are revealed, per the NFL’s rules governing injuries.
It could leave the Chargers shorthanded at vital positions going into next Sunday’s game against the Denver Broncos. They were already without left guard Kayode Awosika, who had a hamstring injury, and center Tyler Biadasz, who sustained a season-ending knee injury during training camp.
Plus, backup offensive lineman Trey Pipkins III was placed on injured reserve because of a knee injury, leading to Penning moving into the starting left guard spot for the past two games. Playing four rookies in front of Herbert next week and perhaps beyond would likely be suboptimal.
“I thought they stepped up huge today,” Herbert said of the rookies. “Obviously, it’s really tough when you lose a few guys like (Alt, Slater and Penning), but a lot of those guys playing in their first games, they stepped up, made some big plays and held their own out there.”
INJURIES (CONT’D)
In addition to their battered offensive line, the Chargers also lost the services of top receiver Ladd McConkey, who had been dealing with a foot injury during practice week and was forced from the game in the third quarter. McConkey did not catch a pass before departing the game.
Harbaugh said last week he didn’t know when McConkey was injured.
Derwin James Jr. was inactive because of a hamstring injury, just as fellow safety Elijah Molden returned to the active roster from a hamstring injury he suffered during the Chargers’ season-opening loss to the Arizona Cardinals. It was not immediately clear how or when James was hurt.