Joe Alt Injury Update
Joe Alt might’ve just landed on every Chargers fan’s “No, not again” list—he picked up a pretty nasty ankle injury last week against the Giants. Yep, that game. If you blinked, you might’ve missed it: it was early in the first quarter, everything still felt wide open, and then all of a sudden, Giants linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux crashes into Alt’s leg and, well, there goes the plan. Watching him get carted off, helmetless, wincing, barely able to put weight on the leg, it was one of those moments that makes you think the football gods have a weird sense of humor. I remember texting a buddy: “If the O-line loses one more dude, Justin Herbert’s gonna need bubble wrap.”
The injury happened in Week 4, right at MetLife Stadium. It’s not like Joe Alt had been coasting; he was already the emergency left tackle after Rashawn Slater’s season-ending injury in camp (honestly, did someone curse Chargers’ tackles this year?). Then, wham, Alt’s out with a high ankle sprain, ruled out for the second half, spotted hobbling around in a walking boot. The timing, honestly, couldn’t have been worse. That’s two starting tackles on ice, one concussion in the guard rotation, and a rookie running back trying to hustle for daylight through a patched-up front line. It’s hard not to picture an anonymous Chargers lineman in full gear, drawing straws in the locker room, trying to figure out who has to fill in next.
So what exactly happened to Alt? After Thibodeaux went low, Alt limped, grimaced, and the Chargers staff whisked him away pretty quickly. Tests show it’s a high ankle sprain, the really annoying, unpredictable kind. Right now, there’s no fixed timetable. Head coach Jim Harbaugh said he won’t speculate, but Alt’s “doubtful” for this week, and honestly, that sounds like coach-speak for “not happening, guys”. Word is he’s getting second opinions and may miss several weeks, might even hit IR depending on the severity. The Chargers' depth chart looks like a revolving door, with backups Austin Deculus, Foster Sarell, and whoever else just signed off the practice squad suiting up.
All that to say, the Chargers are in scramble mode. There’s a little gallows humor among fans, and lots of hope that somebody—anybody can keep Herbert upright. It’s rough, but with Alt, you get the feeling he’ll be back as soon as humanly possible, probably with a story about some wild rehab session or weird motivational playlist. Until then, it’s next man up, and LA will be crossing its fingers.
