The Los Angeles Chargers will enter Monday night’s showdown with the Las Vegas Raiders facing a severely depleted linebacker room. Linebacker Denzel Perryman has been placed on injured reserve after sustaining an ankle injury in the season-opening win over the Kansas City Chiefs, a move confirmed by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and reported locally by Daniel Popper. Perryman will miss at least the next four games, sidelining him for critical matchups against the Raiders, Broncos, Giants, and Commanders.
Adding to the Chargers’ challenges, linebacker Daiyan Henley has been added to the injury report with an illness and is listed as questionable for tonight’s game. With Perryman on IR and Henley potentially out, the Chargers enter the matchup with just two fully healthy linebackers: Troy Dye and rookie Marlowe Wax.
Dye, in his sixth NFL season, has primarily served as a spot starter, averaging roughly 125 snaps per year and recording 40 defensive snaps against Kansas City, including four tackles and two big hits on Patrick Mahomes. Wax, meanwhile, has yet to take a defensive snap in the NFL, meaning he could see his first live-game action under the bright lights of Monday Night Football.
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Perryman, a 2021 Pro Bowler, has been a reliable presence during his two stints with the Chargers, originally drafted in the second round of the 2015 NFL Draft. “The best ability is availability,” said one Chargers insider, noting the frustration surrounding Perryman’s ongoing injury issues. Despite his absence, his leadership and production—39 solo tackles, one sack, and two tackles for loss in 11 games last season—underscore the void the team must now fill.
With Perryman and potentially Henley unavailable, head coach Jim Harbaugh will lean on Dye and Wax while trusting defensive coordinator Jesse Minter to adjust the scheme to compensate for the inexperience. Del’Shawn Phillips, also part of the inside linebacker rotation, is questionable with a toe injury, further straining depth at the position.
Offensively, quarterback Justin Herbert will need to continue carrying the Chargers’ momentum after a three-touchdown performance against Kansas City in Week 1. Sustaining drives and controlling the clock will be key in helping protect a thin linebacker corps.
Despite these challenges, the Chargers have reasons for optimism. They swept the Raiders in both matchups last season, and this roster, while thin at linebacker, contains young talent ready to step into larger roles. Monday night’s game will test the team’s depth, adaptability, and resilience as it navigates this early-season adversity.
Kickoff is scheduled for 10 p.m. ET, and all eyes will be on how Dye and Wax handle the pressure of a nearly depleted linebacker room.
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