The Los Angeles Chargers suffered another huge blow to their secondary, as the injury bug took their latest victim in Adrian Phillips. Given the severity of the injury, it's possible that he will be out for a considerable amount of time.
Adam Schefter of ESPN confirmed that the injury he sustained against the Detroit Lions in Week 2 was a severe one that would see him placed on the injured reserve for the next couple of months.
Chargers’ safety Adrian Phillips — who was replacing the injured standout safety Derwin James — broke his forearm during Sunday’s loss at Detroit and is now expected to be sidelined indefinitely, per league source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 16, 2019
His injury is a big loss to a Chargers team that is trying to match their 12-4 outing last season. The former Texas Longhorn had his best season in the 2018 campaign, making 94 tackles and one interception over seven starts.
The situation is terrible for a Chargers defense that is already without a quality defender in Derwin James. Phillips was the player stepping up in place of the IR-listed James, who finished his first NFL season with three interceptions, 3.5 sacks, and 105 tackles in 16 starts. He clarified that he was not trying to replicate the 22-year-old's outstanding rookie season.
A look at the team's depth chart shows the dire situation the secondary is currently in. Third-stringer Jaylen Williams will be expected to take the strong safety role Phillips was handling, but there'll be no players to cover his place. It may be possible to move Nasir Adderley to the strong safety role, but it's far from ideal.
The Chargers may be forced to look into free agency to find a band-aid solution to the entire situation. However, this means that their pass defense will be weaker than desired with Phillips' injury.
Chargers fans can only hope that the secondary won't have a gaping hole in his absence.
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