Ladd McConkey had to leave the Los Angeles Chargers’ Week 1 game against the Arizona Cardinals with a cracked rib, leaving his status for Week 2’s home opener against the Las Vegas Raiders in question.
McConkey, though, will play through the injury, as the former Georgia standout is active.
Before leaving against the Cardinals, McConkey had made five catches for 82 yards and a touchdown. The Chargers went on to lose 26-14. But with Justin Herbert’s No. 1 receiver a go for Sunday, L.A. will look to even its record.
McConkey is trying to capture the form that saw him record seven touchdowns and over 1,100 yards as a rookie in 2024. In 2025, though, his production fell to 789 yards despite scoring six touchdowns.
Meanwhile, the Chargers are looking to return to the playoffs for the third consecutive year and for the fourth time in the past five seasons. That said, the problem has been winning in the postseason. L.A. has lost its last three Wild Card Round appearances.
While we will see McConkey, his Georgia teammate won’t be available. Brock Bowers has been ruled out for the Raiders as he continues to recover from knee surgery. The tight end did return to practice, but he’ll need at least one more week before making his 2026 debut.
Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.
