EL SEGUNDO — Quarterback Justin Herbert’s third-quarter pass was high, so Chargers wide receiver Ladd McConkey reached for it. The football arrived at roughly the same moment Arizona Cardinals linebacker Mack Wilson Sr., did, and the resulting violent collision sent McConkey and the ball thudding to the turf.
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McConkey reached immediately for his back, in obvious distress after the third-and-16 incompletion from the Chargers’ 18-yard line with 18 seconds left in the third quarter of an eventual 26-14 loss. McConkey would leave the game because of a rib injury, and the offense went with him.
Rest on Monday and Tuesday and rehabilitation exercises on the practice field under the watchful eye of an athletic trainer on Wednesday and Thursday offered little reason to believe McConkey would be sound enough to play Sunday against the Las Vegas Raiders at SoFi Stadium.
But then McConkey joined his teammates on the field on Friday, their final practice before Sunday’s game. He wore a yellow don’t-hit-me jersey and stood to the side as his fellow wide receivers performed individual drills during that portion of practice open to reporters.
Later, the Chargers listed McConkey as questionable to play against the Raiders, opening the possibility for an enhanced role for rookie Brenen Thompson, a fourth-round draft pick from Mississippi State. Thompson did not catch a pass in his NFL debut against the Cardinals.
McConkey was Herbert’s favorite target in Week 1, catching five passes on seven targets for a team-leading 82 yards plus one touchdown. Not coincidentally, the Chargers’ offense sputtered in the fourth quarter without him. Tight end David Njoku also caught five passes against Arizona.
“He’s been doing everything he could do,” Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh said of McConkey, who set franchise records for rookies with 82 receptions and 1,149 receiving yards to go with seven touchdowns in the 2024 season. He had 66 catches for 789 yards and six TDs last season.
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In addition to possibly playing without McConkey, the Chargers will be without wide receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith, who was played on injured reserve on Tuesday because of a hamstring injury sustained during their loss to the Cardinals. Lambert-Smith did not catch a pass in the season opener.
Derius Davis could be another option if McConkey can’t play. Davis was forced from the Chargers’ loss to the Cardinals because of a calf injury suffered on a fourth-down pass that was intercepted by Arizona safety Andrew Wingard. It was the only time Herbert targeted Davis.
KICK OR GO?
Harbaugh’s decision to go for it on fourth-and-goal from the Cardinals’ 3-yard line with two minutes remaining in the half and the Chargers trailing 10-7 proved to be a pivotal moment. Herbert was sacked for a 10-yard loss, and the Cardinals then drove for a field goal and a 13-7 lead.
Like all such decisions, it was not made in haste, according to Ryan Ficken, the Chargers’ special teams coordinator. Without getting into specifics, Ficken said earlier this week that situations such as the one the Chargers faced against Arizona were carefully planned for days in advance.
“We have a plan for going for it in every situation, depending on the opponent,” Ficken said. “Everything from where you are on the field to the score in the game to the opponent you’re playing to how the game flows – there are an infinite number of examples.”
INJURY REPORT
In addition to McConkey, the Chargers also listed cornerback Deane Leonard as questionable to play because of an injured abdomen. Safety Elijah Molden (hamstring) and left guard Trey Pipkins III (knee) were ruled out against the Raiders. Kayode Awosika will start at left guard. Pipkins and Awosika rotated at the position against Arizona.
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