The Los Angeles Chargers are far too familiar with injuries to their players. It seems like every season they lose a key player for an extended amount of time. So far this offseason they have remained relatively intact, but they are heading into training camp with the requisite bumps and bruises associated with professional football.
Clubs aren’t required to give updates or details about preseason injuries and coaching staff’s updates are often kept vague. For instance, Jim Harbaugh dodged an injury question by expressing concern that he may violate the HIPAA rights of the player. (HIPAA: the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, which prohibits entities from disclosing protected patient information.)
Los Angeles Chargers Training Camp Injury Update
Junior Colson – Non-Football Injury List
Early on in spring practices, Junior Colson exited the field with trainers. The press was not given an explanation nor have they been updated. Last week the Chargers placed him on the NFI list. The specific reason for the move is not known, but Colson will not be eligible to practice with the team until he’s activated from the list. That activation can come at any time.
Many saw Colson as a rookie breakout candidate, although the team added veteran linebacker Denzel Perryman, so Colson wasn’t likely to be expected to start Week 1.
At one point in his time with the Michigan Wolverines, Colson had broken both hands Colson never missed significant time due to injury in his three seasons playing for Michigan. He has gained notoriety for playing through injuries. He played through a foot injury during much of the 2022 season, even wearing a walking boot during the week and taking it off to play. He eventually had surgery because of the injury in the offseason between 2022 and 2023. He famously played with both hands in casts in the Rose Bowl.
Gus Edwards – Undisclosed
Coach Jim Harbaugh said that Gus Edwards (undisclosed) worked to the side with trainers during mandatory minicamp and that there’s a “high possibility” he will be 100 percent healthy for the start of Chargers training camp, Kris Rhim of ESPN.com reports.
JK Dobbins – Achilles Rehab
J.K. Dobbins has played in nine games over the last three seasons due to major injuries to his right leg. Most recently he tore his Achilles in Week 1 of last year. While there hasn’t been any news to the contrary, Dobbins health (or lack thereof) will be a topic of concern for the Chargers until he can prove to have a functional lower body.
The Chargers plan to run the ball a lot in 2024. In part that means Dobbins’s health is a priority immediately.
Donald Parham – Undisclosed
Donald Parham was the player Harbaugh was attempting to avoid stepping into a HIPAA grey area when he was asked about his injury. Parham has struggled to stay healthy throughout his career. Most recently he missed three weeks of 2023 due to a wrist injury.
Harbaugh said he would give more detailed updates if the injuries resulted in “long-term” absence.
Will Dissly – Undisclosed
Harbaugh said of tight end Will Dissly that he is “progressing good; I think he’s gonna be on track and in a good place as well.”
Dissly is likely to be a key figure in the pass-blocking and run-blocking schemes in the Chargers’ new offense.
Toward the end of the 2022 season Dissly suffered a fibula fracture. Seattle Seahawks head coach, Pete Carroll said.“He has a really unusual injury that we have not seen before. …it’s just a rare injury at the top of his fibula and where it connects. We haven’t had that situation.”
Joshua Palmer – Knee
Josh Palmer suffered a grade 1 knee strain resulting in his first stint on the IR as a Chargers player. But according to Elliott Teaford of The Orange County Register, he is still recovering from the injury “But by the time minicamp arrived, he appeared to be running at full speed during individual and team drills.”
Palmer didn’t require knee surgery.
