The Los Angeles Chargers entered the training camp believing that their offensive line is one of the strongest and is their biggest strength. Just four games into the season, the vision seems to unravel with injuries building at the most crucial times. On Sunday, rookie offensive tackle Joe Alt suffered an ankle injury during the Chargers’ 21-18 loss to the New York Giants in a close contest. “No, I don’t know the severity,” Harbaugh said. “Dealing with an ankle, and getting imaging right now.” He is through with the imaging, and HC Jim Harbaugh has an update.

According to Harbaugh, Alt sustained a sprained ankle and is “doubtful” for Sunday against the Washington Commanders. Harbaugh also didn’t hide his concern about Justin Herbert after he was sacked twice and pressured a staggering 21 times in week 4. Now that LT Joe Alt is in doubt of being sidelined, protecting Herbert is about to get tougher.

Alt’s injury came early in Sunday’s game, when the 2024 first-round pick limped off the field in the first quarter. Though he made it to the sideline after some time, but was later carted to the locker room. He returned after halftime with a protective boot on his right ankle. In his absence, Austin Deculus could not create an impact. He had a rough outing, throwing away six pressures on 37 pass blocking snaps, the highest of any Chargers lineman.

The offensive struggles spilled over to Herbert, as he faced his lowest season output with 23-of041 for 203 yards. Though he managed 1 touchdown but his 2 interceptions rubbed salt on the wound. Through four appearances this season, Herbert has already been sacked 12 times. “He has taken too many (hits),” Harbaugh said, via ESPN. “It’s very concerning. We’ve got to get better. We got to put him in a better position. Don’t think he’s been in a good position.”

While the Chargers struggle with injuries, the Commanders get a major boost

The Chargers’ offensive line has been hit hard by injuries. Rashawn Slater tore the patellar tendon in his left leg during practice in early August, forcing Alt to slide from right tackle to left. Adding to the miseries, right guard Mekhi Becton has been sidelined due to a sustained concussion against Denver in week 3. Creating a ripple effect, Jamaree Salyer has been fulfilling the guard duties. This created a lot of void to fill for the Chargers. “We’ll work through those options as we go and do the best thing for our team,” Harbaugh said.

Meanwhile, the Washington Commanders are regaining their strength with quarterback Jayden Daniels carving out lanes for his week 5 appearance. Daniels suffered a knee sprain in week 2, eliminating his chances of getting on the field. While Marcus Mariota served as a capable backup, having Daniels back on the gridiron is a major boost to Washington. In just 2 appearances, Daniels threw 433 yards, 3 touchdowns, with 85 rushing yards on 18 carries.

Daniels’ mobility will definitely be under observation, as any limitation from his knee could impact his 2025 NFL campaign. With Joe being doubtful for week 5, Justin Herbert is without his top 2 linemen now. The Chargers are coming from a tough loss against the Giants. With Daniels back at the center, the Commanders could be another sneaky upset for them.