Chargers injury updates on Omarion Hampton, Justin Herbert provide playoff hints

The Los Angeles Chargers won’t play some starters during the Week 18 season finale against the Denver Broncos.

That has created one of the biggest Chargers injury reports of the entire season.

Even by always-injured Chargers standards, the list is impressive. On just the first injury report of the week, Jim Harbaugh’s club listed roughly 14 names.

A few of those players, like Derwin James and Khalil Mack, got standard rest days. Nothing too unexpected there.

Others, though, provide hints at Week 18 statuses and how things look ahead of the first round of the playoffs.

Omarion Hampton, Justin Herbert top Chargers injury report

wednesday's #LACvsDEN injury report pic.twitter.com/hPqxMvdJBj
— Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers) December 31, 2025

First, Herbert.

The Chargers already announced that Herbert wouldn’t play in Week 18 against the Broncos. He had surgery a few weeks ago on his non-throwing hand after suffering a fracture and it hasn’t overly impacted his play.

Even so, the Chargers aren’t going to take any chances there. He’s been playing behind a miserable offensive line and his legs have been a key part of his fantastic season. Removing a week of wear and tear before an elimination game only makes sense.

First-round rookie Hampton is one to watch now, too. A lengthy trip to injured reserve held back his debut season, so it’s notable to see he’s back on the report with the ankle being listed as the reason.

The extra rest in sitting Justin Herbert could be the playoff difference for the Chargers ⚡

"These byes late in the season make a huge difference." —@JasonKelce pic.twitter.com/D5b4FY0uss
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) December 29, 2025

Unlike Herbert (left hand/rest) and other players with a mixture of injury and rest as the destination, Hampton is just a straight-up listing as an ankle injury, too.

Maybe it’s just semantics and the Chargers will clean up the listing in the coming days. But they need Hampton at 100 percent for the playoffs, too. Keep in mind that fellow running back Kimani Vidal is on the same injury report as a DNP due to the neck injury that has been holding him back.

On paper, some of these listings are hints about who won’t play in Week 18. But for some, perhaps most in the case of Hampton, it’s worth a raise of the eyebrow when thinking ahead to the playoffs, too.

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