When Khalil Mack suffered a left elbow harm after colliding with a teammate whereas tackling the Raiders’ Geno Smith, the priority wasn’t whether or not he’d miss time, however how a lot.
Fortuitously for the Chargers, the prognosis was a dislocated elbow, sidelining him 4 weeks on injured reserve — much better than the season-ending final result many had feared.
“He’s like Wolverine,” coach Jim Harbaugh stated, invoking the regenerating “X-Males” character. “One of many hardest issues I’ve ever seen. He wasn’t going to take a seat or lay down on the sector. … A brand new degree of respect.”
Mack has been remarkably sturdy in his Chargers tenure, beginning 52 of 53 video games.
Final season, nevertheless, he performed by way of a groin harm, by no means at full power. The timing of this setback is particularly irritating, provided that the crew had held him out of the preseason to protect him for the common season.
Dropping Mack is a major blow heading into the crew’s third AFC West matchup in three weeks. His influence was evident earlier than leaving Monday’s sport, when he disrupted the Raiders’ offense early, together with a key third-down sack.
Whereas Mack’s absence is difficult, the protection seems to be in regular palms. It has already proved it could uphold final yr’s commonplace when it completed because the league’s No. 1 scoring protection unit by limiting opponents to fifteen factors per sport by way of two weeks.
The sting rusher group will tackle elevated roles in Mack’s absence.
Tuli Tuipulotu, considered by the group as a future star, will anchor the unit alongside veteran Bud Dupree.
Caleb Murphy, primarily a particular teamer, logged a career-high 34 snaps in opposition to the Raiders and is predicted to have a extra outlined position. Rookie fourth-round decide Kyle Kennard, nonetheless on the observe squad, can also be in line for a promotion to provide the crew a fourth possibility.
Harbaugh didn’t rule out the entrance workplace searching for outdoors assist through commerce or free company, saying, “We’ll look. We’re all the time wanting, and see what the approaching days carry.”
