David Njoku heads to IR with a fibula injury suffered while blocking against the Raiders. What his absence means for the 0-2 Chargers.
The Los Angeles Chargers were already searching for answers after an 0-2 start. Now they'll have to find them without David Njoku.
The team moved the veteran tight end to injured reserve this week after he hurt his fibula in Sunday's 26-14 home loss to the Las Vegas Raiders.
To fill the open roster spot, Los Angeles promoted wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling to the active roster and added long snapper Spencer Triplett to the practice squad.
The injury came in the second quarter on a running play. Njoku was engaged as a blocker for rookie running back Omarion Hampton when he went down, and it was clear right away that something was wrong.
He couldn't put any weight on his right leg, and the medical staff brought out a cart to take him off the field.
What followed said a lot about how quickly he'd earned respect in the locker room. Chargers players emptied onto the field to surround Njoku and offer encouragement before he was driven away. Early reports pointed to a knee issue, but Jim Harbaugh confirmed Monday that the damage was to his fibula.
Because he's on IR, Njoku must sit out at least four games. The team hasn't offered a firm timeline beyond that, and more clarity is expected once doctors finish evaluating him.
A double blow at tight end
Njoku won't be alone on the sideline. Charlie Kolar, the other half of the Chargers' top tight end pairing, hurt his forearm in the same game and was also sent to IR. That leaves second-year player Oronde Gadsden as the only tight end on the active roster.
That's a serious problem for this offense. Los Angeles leans on two-tight-end formations more than almost any team in the league, and both Njoku and Kolar were brought in largely for their blocking in the run game.
Help could come from the practice squad, where the Chargers have undrafted rookie Evan Svoboda and Patrick Herbert, the younger brother of quarterback Justin Herbert.
Njoku joined the Chargers on a one-year, $3 million deal in May, ending a nine-year run with the Cleveland Browns, the team that drafted him in the first round in 2017. He'd been the most productive tight end on the roster through two weeks, catching six passes for 67 yards.
Injured reserve is familiar territory for the 30-year-old. He landed there in 2019 with a broken wrist and again in 2020 with a knee injury, returning both times.
Mounting injuries, mounting pressure
Njoku's injury is part of a troubling pattern. Five of the Chargers' eight free agent additions are now sidelined, including center Tyler Biadasz, who's out for the year with a torn ACL, plus guard Kayode Awosika and defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson.
After back-to-back playoff trips under Harbaugh, the Chargers have dropped home games to Arizona and Las Vegas.
Things don't get easier this week, as they travel to face an undefeated Buffalo Bills team. Harbaugh made clear the urgency is real, and without Njoku, the offense will need someone to step up fast.
