Chargers' breakout rookie headed for MRI after knee injury, report confirms

The Los Angeles Chargers will find out quickly if rookie tight end Oronde Gadsden will miss time with a knee injury. 

Exiting the shocking Week 10 takedown of the Pittsburgh Steelers in primetime to stick high in the AFC playoff race, one of the overlooked storylines was Gadsden leaving the game with a knee injury and not returning. 

Fast forward to Monday morning, ESPN’s Adam Schefter has confirmed that the breakout rookie will undergo an MRI to see the severity of the issue. 

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Based on how the injury bug has assaulted the Chargers this year, it’s easy to be pessimistic about the whole thing. 

Gadsden had emerged as one of the top options for Justin Herbert in the entire base offense after veteran Will Dissly and especially free-agent signing Tyler Conklin failed to make an impact at the position this year. 

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If Gadsden needs to miss time, those veterans would be first up to take another stab at having a greater impact in the offense beyond blocking. 

But by not addressing injury-plagued areas like the offensive line and running back at the trade deadline or in the aftermath, it’s clear the Chargers probably wouldn’t do much of note to reinforce the position if Gadsden joins first-round pick Omarion Hampton on injured reserve.