The Washington Commanders have been on the wrong end of injuries over the past few weeks, losing several players, including quarterback Jayden Daniels and wide receiver Terry McLaurin. While there is hope that Daniels and McLaurin can return for Week 5, Washington’s opponent may have even bigger issues.
In training camp, the Los Angeles Chargers lost Pro Bowl left tackle Rashawn Slater for the season when he suffered a torn patellar tendon. The Chargers then lost their top pass rusher in Week 2, when Khalil Mack dislocated his elbow. While Mack will return this season, it won’t be in time for Sunday’s game against the Chargers.
Los Angeles was 3-0 on Sunday, facing the winless New York Giants, starting a rookie quarterback for the first time. During that game, the Chargers suffered another major injury when left tackle Joe Alt sprained his ankle. Alt, a top-five pick in the 2024 NFL draft, moved from right tackle to the left side when Slater was lost for the season and was playing at a high level.
On Monday, the results came in for Alt, and per Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, it’s the dreaded high ankle sprain. A high ankle sprain is a multi-week injury, meaning Alt will also miss Sunday’s game against the Commanders.
The MRI has confirmed that it’s a high-ankle sprain for Joe Alt, sources say. He’ll seek various opinions to determine how long he’s out. But expected to be several weeks. https://t.co/7RjFSIGJSb
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 29, 2025
Without Slater and Alt, the Chargers are in trouble. The Giants, who have four first-round picks on their defensive line, exploited L.A.’s pass protection issues on Sunday. Even before Alt’s injury, the Chargers were already in trouble.
Check out this statistic from Daniel Popper of The Athletic.
Justin Herbert has been pressured on 46 dropbacks over the past two weeks, most in the league, per @TruMediaSports. The next QB on the list is Joe Flacco, who has been pressured on 35 dropbacks.
— Daniel Popper (@danielrpopper) September 29, 2025
Consider this: Herbert was dropped back to pass 95 times over the last two games, taking seven sacks and attempting 88 passes. He’s been pressured on around 50% of his dropbacks. Head coach Jim Harbaugh acknowledged that Herbert is taking too many hits.
The Commanders have an opportunity in front of them on Sunday. Washington was relentless with its pass rush in Week 1 and Week 3, but it was nonexistent on Sunday against the Falcons. The Commanders better find a way to get pressure on Herbert on Sunday, or it could be another long day for the defense.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Washington Commanders: Chargers without several top starters in Week 5
