Chargers get some good injury news before playoff showdown vs. Patriots

The Chargers get really lucky with injury updates before the playoffs in New England.

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The Los Angeles Chargers made a questionable-looking decision that appeared to turn into a disaster during the season finale against the Denver Broncos. 

During that ho-hum loss, cornerback Donte Jackson, one of the only Chargers starters to take the field at all, left it with trainers after suffering an injury. 

Jackson went to the blue medical tent, then the locker room and didn’t return to the game. A massively unfortunate turn of events for the Chargers, considering Jackson’s importance to Jesse Minter’s defense ahead of the NFL playoffs. 

After the game, though, Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh passed along some good news before Los Angeles travels to New England for a date with the Patriots in Round 1 of the playoffs. 

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Donte Jackson injury update bails out Chargers

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Jackson officially left the game against the Broncos with an ankle injury. 

According to ESPN’s Kris Rhim, after the game, Harbaugh revealed that Jackson actually received clearance to go back in the game, but that the Chargers held him out.

Granted, Harbaugh predictably wouldn’t comment on Jackson’s long-term outlook. But the fact trainers cleared him to get back out there is a good sign, even if ankle injuries and possible swelling can be a tricky thing to navigate over the course of a week before another game.

That’s all speculation, of course. What isn’t? Jackson’s importance to Minter and the Chargers. He came over as a ho-hum, overlooked free-agent signing and has been a top-tier No. 1 corner for the defense, earning a 71.7 PFF grade, ranked 21st out of 113 cornerbacks this year. 

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The Chargers still have some solid mid-round breakouts like Tarheeb Still and Cam Hart as the future of the position. But Jackson’s strong play has eased the pressure on them to perform well on every single down. 

Call this a case of pretty good luck for Harbaugh and the Chargers. It was really questionable to roll the team’s No. 1 cornerback out there at all, even with some of the injuries bothering depth names right now. 

Barring something unexpected, the Chargers have a little luck getting them out of the line of injury fire here. Going to New England against Drake Maye in the cold without Jackson could’ve been a disaster in what is an already tough matchup if both teams approach kickoff fully healthy.

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