The Los Angeles Chargers look incredible through the first two weeks of the season. LA is 2-0 and seemingly in charge of the AFC West thanks to their smothering defense. The Chargers also got some positive injury news on Thursday after a slight scare on Wednesday.
Chargers wide receiver Ladd McConkey returned to practice on Thursday, per The Athletic's Daniel Popper.
McConkey surprisingly popped up on the injury report after missing practice on Wednesday with a biceps injury. Thankfully, the injury clearly is not serious enough to keep him out of consecutive practices.
Ladd burst onto the scene during his rookie season in LA. He immediately formed a connection with Justin Herbert, hauling in 82 receptions for 1,149 yards and seven touchdowns in 2024.
McConkey has not been as explosive through two weeks. In fact, he's only logged 11 receptions for 122 yards and has not found the end zone yet.
Part of the reason could be LA's evolving offense. Quentin Johnston is finally getting involved, and Keenan Allen is back and looking better than ever. That means more mouths to feed than just McConkey alone.
Regardless, the fact that McConkey returned to practice is a great sign that he could play in Week 3. But it is still too early to tell for sure.
Chargers fans should keep an eye out for the official injury report on Friday. That will be the biggest clue about Ladd's availability before Sunday.
If he is unable to play, Herbert will have to lean more on Johnston and Keenan Allen.
Chargers could gain huge AFC West advantage with win over Broncos
The Chargers have an opportunity to gain a significant advantage in the AFC West in Week 3.
Los Angeles has already beaten Kansas City and Las Vegas through two weeks. If they beat Denver on Sunday, they'll already have defeated each of their three division rivals early in the season.
A win would make the Chargers 3-0 and position them well to win the division. The Chargers could gain a head-to-head tiebreaker over any division opponent they defeat in their second matchup later this fall.
If LA can capture the AFC West crown this season, it could signal a shifting of the tides in that division.
Chargers vs. Broncos kicks off at 4:05 PM ET on Sunday.
