GLENDALE, ARIZONA - AUGUST 08: Tight end Hunter Henry #86 of the Los Angeles Chargers rushes the football during the NFL preseason game at State Farm Stadium on August 08, 2019 in Glendale, Arizona. The Cardinals defeated the Chargers 17-13. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)Los Angeles Chargers tight end Hunter Henry is on the shelf after suffering a tibial plateau fracture in his left knee in Week 1. The team announced the news a short time ago.
It’s a crushing blow for the Chargers and Henry himself. He has shown he’s a weapon when on the field but his career has been hampered by injuries.
A torn ACL cost Henry the entire 2018 season, and now it only took him one game to get injured this year. While a tibial plateau fracture sounds pretty serious, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that the prognosis for Henry is hopeful.
The team did not put him on IR, and Schefter says they are hoping he’ll only be out 4-to-6 weeks.
Chargers have thought that TE Hunter Henry’s knee injury would sideline him 4-6 weeks, per source. https://t.co/OowiqnLOjh
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 11, 2019
Again, that seems like a rather ambitious time frame, but hopefully Henry is able to return and be a factor. He was trending toward becoming an upper echelon tight end before tearing his ACL in May 2018.
Virgil Green and Sean Culkin are next-in-line behind Henry. The Chargers could always bring Antonio Gates back at age 39 (!!!) but right now, there’s been no contact between the team and its longtime tight end.
"I haven't been in contact with Antonio Gates," Anthony Lynn #Chargers
— Gilbert Manzano (@GManzano24) September 11, 2019
Los Angeles will play the Detroit Lions this weekend on the road.
