Joe Alt's triumphant return to the Chargers just got one step closer to reality

Joe Alt hasn't been seen by LA Chargers fans since Week 4 when he suffered a high-ankle sprain against the New York Giants. On Thursday, Alt took a huge first step in returning to the field less than three full weeks after his injury. Alt returned to practice for the first time since the injury on Thursday. High-ankle sprains usually carry a 4-6 week recovery time depending on the severity, so Alt's return to football activity is ahead of schedule. His status for Week 7's game against the Indianapolis Colts is still up in the air. However, the star second-year tackle did not rule out the possibility of suiting up for the Bolts on Sunday. "I'm not going to say I can or can't," Alt said, via ESPN's Kris Rhim. "I'm just going to say that, like I said, I'm back on the field now and we're just going to continue to progress and see where it means for me going forward." Alt potentially returning in Week 7 would be a true blessing for the Chargers. Trey Pipkins, who missed Week 6 due to injury, does not appear as if