The Los Angeles Chargers started their final week of practices for the 2024 regular season with Ladd McConkey missing the first day with what was labeled as a toe injury. The rookie second-rounder quickly became quarterback Justin Herbert’s favorite target, leading the team in most receiving statistics by a large margin.
Ladd McConkey Returns To Chargers Practice
McConkey was back at practice on Thursday, although he was a limited participant.
While the upcoming game won’t change much for the Chargers playoff seeding, (If the Pittsburgh Steelers win, the Steelers will be at least the No. 5 seed and the Bolts will be the No. 6 seed no matter what the Chargers do in Las Vegas.) But McConkey’s health will factor heavily in the team’s success in the playoffs.
While he may be healthy in time for the game, given how much the offense relies on him, it would be prudent to sit him against the 4-12 Las Vegas Raiders. Especially with wide receiver Josh Palmer having been unable to practice this week with a foot injury.
McConkey has struggled with several injuries — spending multiple weeks on the injury report starting in Week 7, after injuring his hip against the Denver Broncos. That injury lingered until Week 9. He then injured his shoulder against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 11. In Week 14 he was listed on the injury report with both a knee and shoulder injury, which forced him to miss their second game against the Kansas City Chiefs. He dealt with those injuries for two weeks.
McConkey is one of four rookie receivers to eclipse the 1000-yard mark this season, including his Georgia Bulldogs teammate, Brock Bowers. He is second behind Bowers in yards per route run among all rookies.