Injury news coming from the Los Angeles Chargers vs the New York Giants game. Another injury struck the Chargers, who were already down one All-Pro starter on the offensive line. Joe Alt, the Chargers’ second-year left tackle and a top-five pick in the 2024 draft, was supposed to help bring stability. Instead, he’s out with an injury.

The injury happened early in the first quarter, when Alt was locked in on Giants’ pass rusher Brian Burns. And Kayvon Thibodeaux came crashing into the back of his right leg. Alt limped off the field and was clearly unable to put pressure on his right foot.

He was carted off the field as the Chargers later confirmed an ankle injury, listing Joe Alt as questionable to return. This is a tough break as the Chargers are already missing star left tackle Rashawn Slater because of a torn patellar tendon. Losing two key offensive linemen? That’s a nightmare for LA.

Alt started 16 of 17 games for the Chargers last year and was on the field for nearly 95 per cent of their offensive snaps. This season, before the injury, he hadn’t missed a single offensive snap, 100 percent locked in.

The Chargers had moved Alt to right tackle during his rookie season, even though he spent his entire football career on the left side. Then Slater went down with a season-ending injury before the season even started. That forced the Chargers to move Alt back to his natural left tackle spot, while Trey Pipkins III took over as the starting right tackle.

As for Alt’s injury, the team plans to take it slow and monitor his ankle closely before giving any official updates. More info on his condition should come out soon, but for now, another player takes his place.

Austin Deculus is supposed to fill the void immediately. Deculus is a fourth-year player from LSU who was once a sixth-round pick by the Houston Texans in 2022. But he just has one career start. His entrance means the Chargers are effectively relying on a third-string left tackle against an aggressive Giants’ pass rush.

What Joe Alt’s injury means for the Chargers

Losing Joe Alt, no matter how you slice it, is a huge blow to the Chargers’ already fragile offensive line. Slater’s season ended early with a torn patellar tendon. Mekhi Becton and Najee Harris are also sidelined. Still, the Chargers’ head coach, Jim Harbaugh, is trying his best to calm the storm.

“I know my team. They’re gonna step up,” Harbaugh said. “I don’t go with the cliché. It would be embarrassing to tell them ‘next man up’ or that we all have to step up for [each other] even more when you have a great player that is lost for the season. I wouldn’t embarrass them with telling them that because I know they’re gonna do it.”

 Alt’s injury pushes the Chargers further down their depth chart at one of the most critical positions on the field. A left tackle protects the quarterback’s blindside; the job can’t be downplayed or shuffled around without risk. Justin Herbert’s job just got a whole lot harder.