COSTA MESA, Calif. -- The Los Angeles Chargers will move closer to getting one of their core defensive players back on the field, as coach Anthony Lynn said middle linebacker Denzel Perryman will begin practicing this week.
The Miami product suffered an ankle injury in the first preseason game against the Seattle Seahawks that required surgery and he was placed on the injured reserve at the start of the regular season. Considered a thumper against the running game, the Chargers have missed Perryman’s presence in the middle of the defense.
Through six games, the Chargers are allowing 152.5 rushing yards per contest, worst in the NFL.
Perryman can be designated for return to the active roster and begin practicing this week, starting a 21-day window for evaluation. But Perryman is not eligible to play until after the Chargers’ bye week, when the Bolts travel to take on the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 10.
“When we get him out for the Jacksonville game, I expect it to be big,” Lynn said. “He’s a starting MIKE linebacker in this league and we miss him right now.”
Making matters worse for the Chargers is the team’s leading tackler, Jatavis Brown, has been slowed by a high-ankle sprain suffered against the Philadelphia Eagles three weeks ago, limiting his playing time on game days. Brown played just 20 snaps against the Oakland Raiders over the weekend.
“He’s our starting linebacker,” Lynn said about Brown. “He’s our most active linebacker, but he has a high-ankle sprain. So we limited him to third downs and passing situations, and we bring Korey [Toomer] in on running downs, and that’s what we did yesterday. Now that changes from week to week, but that’s what we did yesterday.”
Lynn said that defensive tackle Corey Liuget is having an MRI performed on a lingering back issue that forced him to leave the game in the third quarter of the Chargers’ win over the Raiders. So Liuget’s availability for Sunday’s game against the Denver Broncos is in question.
Safety Adrian Philips is in the NFL concussion protocol and will not play against Denver, according to Lynn. Right tackle Joe Barksdale is dealing with turf toe and will likely have to limp through the season with the painful foot injury, Lynn said.
“We’re going to have to manage it for him,” Lynn said. “Take some reps off his plate on Wednesday and Thursday, (and then) practice Friday.
“That’s what we’ve done the last couple of weeks. Those turf toes, sometimes they just don’t get better until you completely get off your feet. Right now, we can’t do that.”