Any talk of curses in the NFL begins and ends with the Cleveland Browns, but the Los Angeles Chargers appear to have their own dark cloud they just can’t seem to escape.
There’s bad luck with injuries and then there’s what the Chargers continue to deal with. On Friday, the team lost cornerback Jason Verrett for the season after he suffered a torn Achilles during his conditioning test. The blow comes less than two months after tight end Hunter Henry suffered a torn ACL during OTAs (organised team activities), which will also keep him shelved for all of 2018.
Major injuries are nothing new for the franchise, who’ve been without key players like Keenan Allen, Danny Woodhead, Melvin Gordon, Mike Williams, Denzel Perryman and others for various stretches over the past two years.
Verrett himself has been unable to stay on the field following his Pro Bowl campaign in 2015. The 27-year-old missed all but four games in 2016 due to a partial tear of his left ACL – an injury that bothered him again in Week 1 of 2017 and placed him on the injured reserve.
Chargers have fielded arguably the most talented roster over the last 5 years. In that time:
— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) July 27, 2018
► 3rd most games lost to injury
► 4th worst record in 1-score gms
► 1 playoff trip & 1 win v Bengals
Either the unluckiest team ever or a serious top-down issue w Management & Coaching https://t.co/8fqb5XeKrC
The loss of Verrett and Henry dampens what was an optimistic outlook for the team heading into the new season.
A healthy Verrett was expected to pair with Casey Hayward to form one of the best outside corner duos in the league, while the rest of the secondary features talented defensive backs like Desmond King, Trevor Williams and Jahleel Addae, along with rookie safety Derwin James.
Without Verrett last season, the Chargers’ defence more than held up against the pass, ranking third in yards allowed (197 per game), sixth in yards per attempt (6.5) and fourth in passer rating against (78.1).
Especially with the addition of James, who was drafted 17th overall in this year’s draft, the Chargers are more than equipped to compensate for Verrett’s absence. But what was supposed to be one of their biggest strengths will now be without one of its brightest talents.
It’s also possible Verrett has played his last game with the team as he enters the fifth and final year of his rookie contract. He’ll earn $8.5 million for his lost season, but will likely have to prove himself and his ability to stay healthy on a short-term deal with his next contract before earning a payday commensurate with his talent.
Henry’s injury, meanwhile, robbed Los Angeles’ passing game of one of its best playmakers.
The 23-year-old was set to be the full-time tight end after sharing duties with longtime veteran Antonio Gates for the past two seasons and racking up 81 receptions on 117 targets for 1,057 yards and 12 touchdowns.
The Chargers can bring Gates back into the fold after parting ways with him in the offseason, and his familiarity with the offence will be a source of comfort for quarterback Philip Rivers.
But the season hasn’t even started yet and the team are already in a spot where they can’t reach their full potential.
