Chargers facing dire injury situation in Week 5 game vs. Broncos

Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Chargers facing dire injury situation in Week 5 game vs. Broncos

By Adam Gretz | Last updated Oct 7, 2026 8:18 PM ET

The Los Angeles Chargers season is in danger of completely slipping away from them. Not only are they taking an 0-4 record into Sunday's game against the Denver Broncos, but they are facing the reality of having a severely injury-depleted lineup when they take the field.

It could also be really bad news for quarterback Justin Herbert as he attempts to shake off a terrible individual start to the season.

Chargers facing dire injury situation for game vs. Broncos

Among the injured players for the Chargers are both starting tackles, Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater as well as wide receiver Ladd McConkey.

Alt and Slater are both expected to miss the game, while McConkey did not practice on Wednesday due to what the team is calling a foot injury.

wednesday's injury report for week 5 vs DEN pic.twitter.com/1xgJcHuFUy
— Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers) October 7, 2026

Slater is dealing with a high-ankle sprain, while Alt's issue is with his neck, but there are currently no plans to put him on IR.

There is never a good situation for an NFL team to lose both starting tackles, but that is especially true for the Chargers who were already having issues on their offensive line due to the struggles of the interior players.

All of this could leave Herbert under intense pressure against a very good Broncos defense, while also potentially altering the team's game plan offensively.

Los Angeles is averaging just 16.8 points per game through four games, placing them 28th out of 32 teams in the league. There's no shortage of people to blame for it, from the lack of consistency at the skill positions, to poor offensive line play, to the disturbing struggles of Herbert himself. Entering play on Sunday, he is one of the NFL's lowest-rated passers, taking a 28.0 QBR into Week 5. The only quarterback in the NFL with a worse QBR is Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kyler Murray (27.6). Taking away two more offensive lineman and a top pass-catcher is not going to help.

Adam Gretz

Adam Gretz is a freelance writer based in Pittsburgh. He covers the NHL, NFL, MLB and NBA. Baseball is his favorite sport -- he is nearly halfway through his goal of seeing a game in every MLB ballpark. Catch him on X @AGretz

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