Chargers Work Out Multiple Big-Name Veterans Amid Injury Bug Onslaught

The Los Angeles Chargers find themselves suffering from a roster-wide injury bug, yielding the need to work out multiple different veteran players.

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The Los Angeles Chargers are coming off another loss, this time to the hands of the Denver Broncos. The team is 0-5 and is currently tied for the worst record in the entire NFL with the Tennessee Titans and Miami Dolphins. On top of losing five games straight to begin the NFL season, they are also dealing with a massive injury bug, causing the team to be short-handed for the upcoming weeks.

This injury bug saw 18 names on the Chargers injury report before the Broncos game, with guys like Tre Harris and Bud Dupree also getting hurt in the loss. We have yet to see the injury report for the Bolts' matchup in Week 6, but expecting it to be much better would be a poor idea. That said, the team is working out a plethora of names, hoping to add some roster depth during this injury-riddled stretch.

full game status for week 5 vs DEN pic.twitter.com/Ph53lJP3zb

— Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers) October 9, 2026

Chargers Full Workout List After Broncos Loss

CB Jalyn Armour-Davis

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Armour-Davis was a Baltimore Ravens fourth-round draft selection in 2022, giving the team three starts in three years, and played the 2025 season with the Titans, where he had 10 starts and recorded 34 tackles. During the season, he suffered a season-ending injury, likely giving a reason why he has not signed with any team. Amour-Davis' finds himself with a workout opportunity likely due to his connection with Joe Hortiz, who was a part of the Ravens scouting staff when he was draft.

WR Ronnie Bell

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Bell was a seventh-round selection of the San Francisco 49ers in the 2023 draft, playing for the team for two seasons, recording eight catches for 90 yards and three touchdowns. He spent 2025 with the New Orleans Saints, where he recorded two catches for 23 yards and a touchdown. Bell spent his college years with Michigan, having a connection with Chargers' head coach Jim Harbaugh yielding the likely reasoning for his workout beyond the need for another receiver.

WR Luke Grimm

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Luke Grimm spent the 2025 and 2026 pre-seasons with the Chargers, becoming a reliable slot receiver who also had a special teams return touchdown, giving some validity to his ability to be on an NFL roster. He worked out with the team, being one of two names on this list to sign with the practice squad.

WR Chris Hilton Jr.

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Hilton Jr. was an undrafted free agent after the 2026 NFL Draft ended, signing with the Washington Commanders. After being released in early August, he found his way to the Green Bay Packers, where he had no receiving stats other than a drop during the preseason. He was released shortly after. Hilton Jr. played at LSU, having 4.4 speed and five years of minimal production, giving the Bolt fans the reality of the current situation the team is in at the receiver position.

WR Tejhaun Palmer

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Tejhuan Palmer was an Arizona Cardinals sixth-round selection in the 2024 NFL Draft, becoming one of very few UAB players to be drafted into the NFL. Palmer spent time on the Cardinals' practice squad for both the 2024 and 2025 seasons, being elevated in one game in 2025. He played with the New England Patriots in the 2026 preseason, recording three catches for 33 yards.

WR Juju Smith-Schuster

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Smith-Schuster is the headlining name of all the players who were worked out by the Chargers. He is a former 1400-yard wide receiver who has been in the NFL since 2017. Smith-Schuster never hit his 2018 season high of 1400 yards ever again, but has carved out a nice career as a role-playing wide receiver across three different teams. Smith-Schuster spent the off-season with the other Harbaugh brother, John, in New York. He did not make the team, but his 345-yard season in 2025 gives him more production than all of the other names combined on the list.

QB Jake Browning

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Jake Browning was an undrafted free agent pickup by the Minnesota Vikings in 2019, after being a strong QB at the University of Washington. Browning spent 2019-2020 with the Vikings, eventually moving on to the Cincinnati Bengals, where he would make a name for himself. He spent multiple seasons with the team, headlined by his 2023 run, where he filled in for Joe Burrow for seven starts, recording a league-leading 70.4% completion rate followed by 1936 passing yards, 12 touchdowns and seven interceptions.

In 2025, when asked to start once again, Browning did not play as well, recording three starts, earning 771 yards, six touchdowns and eight interceptions. After this season, he moved on to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, losing the QB2 job to UDFA Jalon Daniels. Browning was signed to the Chargers roster after impressing the staff in his workout. This is likely due to Trey Lance finding himself on injured reserve due to a random practice injury he suffered.

QB Kyle Trask

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The final name that was worked out was Trask, who was likely the competition for Browning. Trask was once a second-round pick in 2021, where he was supposed to replace Tom Brady after he retired once and for all. That obviously did not happen, as Trask could never break into any sort of real playing time. He is viewed widely as a bust, but his 6'5 frame and strong production at Florida still gives him opportunities. His 2026 preseason with the Panthers was not bad, recording 252 passing yards, two passing touchdowns and two interceptions.

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