INGLEWOOD — Wide receiver Ladd McConkey was the poster boy for all the pain the Arizona Cardinals inflicted on the Chargers’ offense in Week 1. He suffered an injured rib when Arizona’s Mack Wilson Sr. delivered a jarring hit that separated him from the football.
Read more Alexander: Is Chargers’ season already spiraling downward?
McConkey assumed a similar position in Week 2, with two teeth knocked out of his mouth during the Chargers’ loss to the Las Vegas Raiders, a reminder of all the suffering he and his teammates absorbed during another lackluster loss to a team that was favored by oddsmakers to defeat.
McConkey caught five passes for 82 yards and one touchdown against Arizona.
He had another three receptions for 35 yards against Las Vegas.
Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh referred to McConkey as “Just a warrior.”
Kind words, McConkey said when told of Harbaugh’s comment, nice to hear.
“I appreciate that,” McConkey said. “I appreciate my coach having my back.”
Apparently, sitting out Sunday was not an option, though.
“You only get so many opportunities at this game, so if I can be out there, I’m going to be out there,” said McConkey, who sat out once during his rookie season in 2024, when he set franchise records for first-year players with 82 receptions for 1,149 yards, and once last season.
Even if he had been 100% while playing against the Raiders, he couldn’t have helped the Chargers’ sputtering offense by himself. He did average 11.7 yards per reception, which included a 19-yard gain on a dart thrown by quarterback Justin Herbert in the second quarter.
The completion kept alive a possession that ultimately produced running back Omarion Hampton’s 1-yard touchdown run that tied the score 7-7. Other targets were few and far between, however. Herbert was inconsistent at best while completing 15 of 27 passes for 192 yards.
“I feel like it’s just that we’re hurting ourselves a lot,” McConkey said of an offense that fumbled six times, tossed two interceptions to go with eight penalties, including a holding call against right tackle Joe Alt while Herbert attempted a pass from his own end zone, resulting in a safety.
Read more Chargers sink to 0-2 after lackluster loss to Raiders
“I feel like once we can just start clicking, we’ll get rolling. But nobody’s happy with where we’re at, so we’re going to attack it.”
INJURY REPORT
Tight ends David Njoku and Charlie Kolar were each forced from the game. Njoku sustained a knee injury and was carted from the field in the second quarter and Kolar suffered a forearm injury in the fourth. Harbaugh said he didn’t have a postgame update on either player.
Defensive lineman Dalvin Tomlinson injured his hamstring near the end of the third quarter. Left guard Kayode Awosika hurt his leg and was forced from the game. Safety Derwin James Jr. injured his hand in the first half, but was able to continue in the game.
James had a team co-leading seven tackles.
“There were quite a few (injuries) that were reported, and that’s all the information I have,” Harbaugh said when asked for updates after the game.
Read more Emmet Sheehan strengthens postseason case as Dodgers sweep Giants