Chargers tight end Hunter Henry seemingly lost his season when he tore his ACL in May, but the Chargers have left the door open for him to return at some point during the upcoming season. As ESPN's Field Yates pointed out on Twitter, the Chargers did not place Henry on injured reserve on Saturday, instead opting to put him on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list, which means he's eligible to return later in the season.
It might be unlikely, but it's not impossible.
On the PUP list, Henry can't practice or play during the first six weeks of the season. But he will have a chance to return after that six-week window.
Henry, drafted in the second round back in 2016, developed into one of the league's most complete tight ends during his first two seasons. In 2016, he caught 36 passes for 478 yards and eight touchdowns. In 2017, he caught 45 passes for 579 yards and four touchdowns, grading out as Pro Football Focus' second-best tight end, behind only Rob Gronkowski and ahead of players like Travis Kelce, Delanie Walker, and Zach Ertz. In 2018, after the Chargers decided to move on from legendary tight end Antonio Gates, he was supposed to make the leap.
A torn ACL suffered during OTAs changed his outlooked drastically. However, because he suffered the injury in May, he could return later this season. December will be seven months from May. In 2013, Chargers linebacker Melvin Ingram tore his ACL in May. He was playing in games by December.
To be clear, that shouldn't be considered the standard. A recovery like that doesn't often happen. We shouldn't expect Henry to be available to play. Furthermore, Henry is still only 23 years old. Neither the team nor the player should jeopardize his long-term future. But if Henry is able to return and if he's able to be effective, he could provide a late-season spark to a team that has enough talent to go on a playoff run.
As it stands, Virgil Green and Sean Culkin are the only two tight ends on the Chargers' 53-man roster. But it's worth noting that Gates is still available to sign if the Chargers want to bring in some outside that help that is already familiar with the team.