The Los Angeles Chargers received a mixed Week 10 report Friday that brings welcome developments in some spots and a big hit up front in others as they prepare to host the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday night.
The short, ugly headline is that the starting right tackle, Bobby Hart (knee/ankle), is out, forcing the Chargers to reshuffle a line protecting quarterback Justin Herbert. Hart’s absence is a clear downgrade for an offensive front that will be asked to handle Pittsburgh’s physical defensive fronts and keep Herbert clean in a primetime environment.
There is, however, a small piece of good news. Cornerback Tarheeb Still, initially thought unlikely to play, landed with a “doubtful” tag on the report, which the Chargers’ staff treated as an upgrade given he hadn’t been expected to suit up. The team also listed five players as questionable: Da’Shawn Hand, long snapper Josh Harris, KeAndre Lambert-Smith, Deane Leonard, and Benjamin St-Juste. That group contains a mix of special-teams pieces and depth players who could influence matchups late in the game.
On the running-back front, rookie Omarion Hampton made a positive appearance at practice, working without a walking boot, though his practice window has not officially opened. Seeing Hampton on the field gives the Chargers a possible midseason boost if he can return from an ankle injury sooner than expected. For now, he remains on injured reserve.
Herbert leads the Chargers with 2,390 passing yards on the season and has been the engine of a 6-3 club that’s fighting to stay in the AFC picture. The Steelers come in 5-3 and will try to test Los Angeles’ makeshift right side and its secondary depth.
Coach Jim Harbaugh’s depth chart and his offensive-coaching staff will have to scheme around Hart’s absence while monitoring the questionable players up until game time. If any of the projected returnees, especially the defensive pieces, can go, the Chargers could offset the loss on the line. If not, Sunday night could quickly turn into a battle of who can control the line of scrimmage and limit mistakes in a game expected to be close.
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