Chargers' offense to get a boost on Thursday night vs. Broncos from veteran returning from injury

Hurst has missed the Chargers' last five games with a with a hip injury. He has practiced in full since Los Angeles activated his 21-day practice window on Tuesday. Previous to getting hurt, Hurst caught seven passes on 12 targets for 65 yards in seven games.

While that's not incredibly productive, his presence is welcome as starting tight end Will Dissly is out with a shoulder injury. Hurst is an excellent blocker and could help open things up for Stone Smartt, the third-year tight end who has emerged as of late, catching eight passes for 104 yards over the past two weeks.

Smartt should lead the way as the top tight end against the Broncos, but Hurst can be a sneaky good receiver who could make a difference. The veteran Hurst has 202 career receptions for 1,967 yards and 15 touchdowns. Originally a first-round draft pick by the Baltimore Ravens, the Chargers are Hurst's fifth team of his seven-year career.

The Broncos' secondary is ailing a bit as it is still without starting cornerback Riley Moss. Fellow starting cornerback Patrick Surtain II will play, but he is nursing an ankle injury that he suffered against the Indianapolis Colts just four days ago, so that will be worth monitoring. 

This is a pivotal matchup for the Chargers, who currently own the No. 7 and final playoff seed in the AFC. They trail Denver by one game for the No. 6 seed, and the Colts, Miami Dolphins and Cincinnati Bengals are still a threat, trailing L.A. by two games.