Cam Hart misses Chargers OTAs due to injury (but reveals positive timeline)

Chargers cornerback Cam Hart left Los Angeles' playoff loss to Houston with a shoulder injury. He was listed by the team as questionable to return at the time, but never did.

After Hart spoke to the media at OTAs, we finally have a better idea of what happened. Hart disclosed that he suffered a torn labrum in the Houston game. He had surgery to repair the labrum in January and has been rehabbing it ever since. Hart said he has not been medically cleared to practice, hence why he was off to the side on the first day of the team's OTA program.

The good news is that Hart is on the right track in his rehab process. The Chargers' second-year corner said that he should be cleared around the time of the team's June 10-12th minicamp. That would place him about five months removed from the January labrum surgery.

Cam Hart misses OTAs, but won't be out long for the Chargers

The shoulder surgery is particularly notable, given that it would be Hart's fourth in the last six years. At Notre Dame, he underwent three shoulder surgeries in a five year period.

"Obviously it comes with the game," Hart said on his labrum injury in Houston. "You're going to get injured at some point playing football, you hope not to. But that was just the cards that I was dealt. Just woke up everyday and attacked it."

Hart also dealt with multiple concussions and an ankle injury during his 2024 rookie campaign. He missed a game against Denver in Week 16 following his second concussion of the season in the week before vs. Tampa Bay. In total, he was inactive for three games last year.

When asked about his goals, he mentioned availability as the key goal for the upcoming season. "Get healthy. 17 healthy games," Hart started. "Obviously last year everyone has seen a couple injuries here and there. That's been something that I've been tormenting over or just mad about for myself. But just 17 healthy games and give everybody everything I have. I think I got a lot out there that I can prove or that I have to prove. I showed a small percentage of who Cam can be in the NFL last year. And with 17 healthy games, I think I've got a lot more to show."

Hart will try to get back on the field during the team's June minicamp if he's cleared. But it sounds like he'll be out of commission for the next few weeks of the Chargers' OTA team activities.