Chargers’ season off to rough start
The Los Angeles Chargers are hoping a new city will be the start of some better luck. Thus far, it doesn’t seem that the team formerly from San Diego is having much success.
On Wednesday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Los Angeles’ first-round draft pick (7th overall), wide receiver Mike Williams, could miss the entire season with a herniated disc in his back. Williams, who starred at Clemson and was an integral part of its national championship last year, broke his neck in 2015 but played in all of 2016. It’s unsure whether the injuries then and now are related, but the optics are ugly.
Schefter speculated in his report that Williams might have been hurt leading up to the draft and hid the injury from teams, hoping to keep his draft stock intact. If that’s the case, Williams did a good job of it, but things have unraveled. The rookie missed OTAs with the injury and after two epidural shots is still not able to get back on to the field. If he needs surgery, the youngster will be on the shelf for all of 2017, giving Los Angeles another injury in a few years chock full of them.
The Chargers might have more injury woes to complain about than any other NFL franchise over the past two years. In that span, they have seen Danny Woodhead, Keenan Allen and Jason Verrett go down twice, while Orlando Franklin, D.J. Fluker, Melvin Gordon, Corey Liuget, Branden Oliver and others have all missed lengthy periods of time. The result has been nine wins over the past two campaigns, paving the way to a pair of last-place finishes in the tough AFC West.
Los Angeles has to be hoping that Williams sees the field at some point this year. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport refuted Schefter’s report, stating he has two sources who believe surgery can and will be avoided. If that’s the case, it’s likely Williams still starts training camp on the Physically Unable to Perform List, but could be back at some point during camp.
If the Chargers have realistic expectations of catching the Kansas City Chiefs and Oakland Raiders in the division, it starts with significantly better health. Los Angeles has the roster to make a potential push toward the playoffs, albeit with some question marks along the offensive front and through the middle of the defense. Still, a healthy group of weapons for Philip Rivers would go a long way toward the team’s first playoff berth since the 2013 season.
