The latest injury update on Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Ladd McConkey appears to be a bit concerning ahead of the Week 2 mathcup with the Las Vegas Raiders.
The Los Angeles Chargers are now a few practices into Week 2, and when it comes to wide receiver Ladd McConkey and his status, he does not seem to be in a great spot.
So far this week, McConkey has not practiced at all yet as he is still dealing with a rib injury that he suffered during the 26-14 loss to the Arizona Cardinals in Week 1.
The injury occurred in the third quarter when McConkey tried to make a catch, and as he was doing so, he took a shot to the ribs, which took him out for the rest of the game, and so far, he has not returned to practice.
As far as an official update goes, Chargers ESPN beat reporter Kris Rhim posted on X that McConkey was again working off to the side with a trainer, which means that he was unable to participate in practice for the second straight day after missing Wednesday's practice as well.
With this update, there it does seem like McConkey could be in danger of missing the Week 2 matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders as he has now missed the last two practices.
Ultimately, whether or not McConkey practices on Friday will play a major role in if he will be able to play on Sunday to help this Chargers team, and the offense in particular get back on track.
If McConkey is out, the Chargers will need to find a way to be productive in the passing game with the receivers they have. In order to do that, offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel needs to craft a solid game plan so quarterback Justin Herbert can complete passes on a consistent basis and ensure this offense stays on track.
Additionally, the run game will be critical for the Chargers because if they can run the ball effectively, they should be able to force the defense into playing more aggressively in the box which ideally would open passes over the top of the defense.
In Week 1, part of the reason that the Chargers struggled offensively was the fact that they ran the ball 21 times for 81 yards and averaged 3.9 yards per carry. With that output in the run game, the Cardinals were able to pay more attention to the passing game and keep Los Angeles out of rhythm for most of the day.
Nonetheless, whether or not McConkey plays on Sunday will play a huge role in how the Chargers attack the Raiders, but also the game plan needs to be better and more effective overall, otherwise, Los Angeles could be in danger of starting 0-2.
