Mebane (personal) did not practice Tuesday, Sam Fortier of The Athletic reports.
There is little information regarding Mebane's current absence from the field. Should he return to practice before Saturday, all signs would point toward an active status. As for now, it's more of a wait-and-see approach with the 12-year veteran.
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Chargers' Trevor Williams: Absent from Tuesday's practice
Rotowire
Dec 12, 2018
Williams (knee) did not practice Tuesday, Sam Fortier of The Athletic reports.
Williams' availability for Saturday's game comes into question following his absence from Tuesday's session. There's a chance he can earn an active status for Saturday's game even without practicing this week, but such an event raises tremendous levels of uncertainty. We should have a better idea of where he stands as Saturday inches closer.
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Chargers' Sean Culkin: Absent from Tuesday's practice
Rotowire
Dec 12, 2018
Culkin (back) did not practice Tuesday, Sam Fortier of The Athletic reports.
Culkin's absence from the practice field doesn't bode well for his chances of suiting up in Saturday's tilt with the Jets. Given the short week, Culkin may need to prove he can hold up in practice before earning any green light. If he can't go, the Chargers would be left with just two active tight ends for Saturday's contest.
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Chargers' Austin Ekeler: Not ready to practice
Rotowire
Dec 12, 2018
Ekeler (neck/concussion) didn't participate in Tuesday's practice.
After suffering a bruised nerve in his neck on an onside kick recovery attempt late in Sunday's 26-21 win over the Bengals, Ekeler entered the concussion protocol after developing symptoms of a head injury during Monday's team walkthrough. Per Sam Fortier of The Athletic, the two injuries make it unlikely Ekeler will rally in time for Thursday's game in Kansas City, potentially leaving the Chargers perilously thin in the backfield. On a more fortunate note, workhorse Melvin Gordon (knee) returned to practice Tuesday in a limited fashion and is angling to return from a two-game absence, but if he can't gain clearance to play, seventh-round rookie Justin Jackson and undrafted free agent Detrez Newsome would be the lone available backs for Los Angeles.
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Chargers' Melvin Gordon: Turns in limited practice
Rotowire
Dec 12, 2018
Gordon (knee) was a limited participant in Tuesday's practice.
Compared to earlier Tuesday when coach Anthony Lynn told Steve Wyche of NFL Network that he wasn't optimistic Gordon would be ready to go Thursday against the Chiefs, he seems to have budding enthusiasm for the running back's chances of playing. In addition to logging his first practice participation of any kind since suffering the MCL sprain in the Week 12 win over the Cardinals, Gordon relayed that he felt much better and believes he can push at least for a gametime decision Thursday, per Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times. A limited or full showing at Wednesday's practice would represent another positive step for Gordon's Week 15 status, but rookie Justin Jackson would be on tap to handle a leading role for the Chargers if the team's top back isn't cleared to play.
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Chargers' Detrez Newsome: Could be No. 2 back in Week 15
Rotowire
7H ago
Newsome is likely to serve as the top backup to Justin Jackson in Thursday's game against the Chiefs after coach Anthony Lynn told Steve Wyche of NFL Network that he's "not optimistic" Melvin Gordon (knee) and Austin Ekeler (neck/concussion) will be available for the contest.
Both injured backs were listed as non-participants on Monday's estimated practice report and seem unlikely to increase their activity enough over the next two days to gain clearance for the Week 15 matchup. Even though Gordon missed his second straight game over the weekend against the Bengals and Ekeler exited late in the contest, Newsome didn't see any work on offense, as all 12 of the undrafted rookie's snaps came on special teams. Given that Newsome has seen only 11 offensive snaps in total in his seven games with the Chargers, it's difficult to envision him capturing a major role in the game plan, as Lynn seems more likely to lean on Jackson as a three-down workhorse. It's also conceivable that Los Angeles will add another running back to its roster prior to Thursday, which could further hurt Newsome's chances of making an impact on offense.
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Chargers' Justin Jackson: Likely to lead Week 15 backfield
Rotowire
7H ago
Jackson is trending toward starting and serving as the Chargers' lead back Thursday against the Chiefs after coach Anthony Lynn told Steve Wyche of NFL Network he's "not optimistic" Melvin Gordon (knee) and Austin Ekeler (neck/concussion) will be available for the contest.
Both Gordon and Ekeler were listed as non-participants on Monday's estimated practice report and are facing uphill battles to get healthy on the short week. Jackson had seen his role expand over the previous three games while Gordon was either limited or withheld from action, with the Northwestern product earning at least seven snaps in every contest. He was efficient in his opportunities in Weeks 12 and 13, but managed only 12 yards on his seven totes in the Week 14 win over the Bengals. Despite that disappointing showing, Jackson's workload shouldn't be threatened Thursday, as undrafted rookie Detrez Newsome is the only other healthy back on the roster and has been limited to just 11 offensive snaps this season. In addition to the likelihood that he'll draw an overwhelming share of the backfield touches, Jackson will benefit from a soft matchup against a Kansas City defense that has ceded 5.1 yards per carry this season, the second-worst mark in the league. That should provide enough reason to scoop Jackson off the waiver wire in just about any format where he's available, though he'll lose nearly all his fantasy appeal once either Gordon and/or Ekeler is cleared to play again.
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Chargers' Austin Ekeler: 'Not optimistic' for Week 15
Rotowire
8H ago
Coach Anthony Lynn said he's "not optimistic" that Ekeler (neck/concussion) will be available for Thursday's game against the Chiefs, Steve Wyche of NFL Network reports.
Lynn offered a similar assessment for the outlook of Melvin Gordon (knee), so it's expected the Chargers will be without their top two running backs in a matchup that could effectively decide the AFC West. Ekeler exited late in Sunday's win over the Bengals with a neck stinger -- an issue that has bothered him at various points in recent weeks -- and also entered the NFL's protocol for head injuries Monday after experiencing concussion-like symptoms during a team walk-through session, per Joe Reedy of the Associated Press. With Ekeler not trending toward gaining clearance for Thursday and Gordon seemingly on track to miss a third straight contest, seventh-round pick Justin Jackson is expected to head the Chargers' backfield in Week 15, making the Northwestern product worthy of rostering in most leagues in the short term. Undrafted rookie Detrez Newsome is also on hand to offer depth, but with just 11 career offensive snaps to his name, it's tough to imagine him having a sizable role in the game plan.
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Chargers' Melvin Gordon: Not looking good for Week 15
Rotowire
7H ago
The Chargers aren't optimistic that Gordon (knee) will be available for Thursday's game against the Chiefs, coach Anthony Lynn told Steve Wyche of NFL Network.
Though reports over the weekend painted a rosier picture for Gordon's Week 15 status, the running back's inability to take part in Monday's light walk-through session seemingly puts him on track to miss a third straight contest. The Chargers are also expected to be without the services of Austin Ekeler (neck/concussion), leaving seventh-round pick Justin Jackson and undrafted rookie Detrez Newsome as the lone healthy backfield options. Considering Newsome has played just 11 offensive snaps this season, Jackson will likely be in line to dominate the backfield work Thursday, making the Northwestern product a worthy pickup in just about every format. Gordon, meanwhile, will look to improve his odds of playing this week by upping his activity Tuesday or Wednesday, though that doesn't appear likely.
Badgley made both of his extra-point attempts and all four of his field-goal attempts in the 26-21 victory over the Bengals.
It's not an exaggeration to say that Badgley's performance won the Chargers the game, as the rookie kicker was brilliant, connecting on an important 59-yard attempt to end the first half. Badgley has missed an extra point and field goal this season, but that's still light years better than recent production from previous Chargers kickers.
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Chargers' Derwin James: Tallies seven tackles
Rotowire
5H ago
James finished Sunday's 26-21 win over the Bengals with seven tackles (six solo).
Despite finishing with seven tackles, Sunday marked just the fifth time all season the rookie didn't record either an interception or a sack. James has been an impressive playmaker for the Chargers this season and remains one of the best IDP options available each and every week.
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Chargers' Jahleel Addae: Leads team in tackles
Rotowire
9H ago
Addae tallied eight tackles (six solo) in the 26-21 victory over the Bengals on Sunday.
Addae has seen his production slip this season with the emergence of Denzel James and Adrian Phillips, despite the fact the veteran safety has played in 98 percent of the team's defensive snaps. Generally considered one of the hardest hitting safeties in the NFL, Addae's worth might be more important to the Chargers than fantasy owners.
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Chargers' Travis Benjamin: Catches lone target
Rotowire
9H ago
Benjamin caught his lone reception for 11 yards in Sunday's 26-21 victory over the Bengals.
One week after snagging his first touchdown of the season, Benjamin promptly fell back down to earth, posting his fifth game this season with one or fewer catches. It's difficult to recommend starting Benjamin until he factors more into the offense given he's averaging 1.9 targets this season.
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Chargers' Mike Williams: Snags three passes
Rotowire
5H ago
Williams caught three of his six targets for 45 yards in the 26-21 win Sunday over the Bengals.
It's clear now that Williams has effectively taken over the No. 2 receiving role over behind Keenan Allen, as the second-year receiver has tallied 174 receiving yards and two touchdowns in the last four weeks compared to Tyrell Williams' paltry 50 receiving yards over that same stretch. The loss of Melvin Gordon (knee) hasn't created as many opportunities for Mike Williams as some might have expected, but his red-zone presence is finally extending to all parts of the field, making the 2017 No. 7 overall pick an intriguing start in the waning weeks of the regular season.
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Chargers' Tyrell Williams: Held in check once again
Rotowire
9H ago
Williams caught all three of his targets for 14 yards in the 26-21 win over the Bengals on Sunday.
At this point, it's clear that Williams' run through Week 6 and 7, where he totaled 236 receiving yards and three touchdowns, was just an aberration. From Week 9 through Week 14, the fourth-year receiver has caught just 11 passes for 119 yards and one touchdown, remaining at best a longshot to post even adequate fantasy numbers.
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Chargers' Trevor Williams: Non-participant Monday
Rotowire
3H ago
Williams (knee) was listed as a non-participant on Monday's practice report.
Williams lost his starting role opposite Casey Hayward to Michael Davis midway through the season, and it appears his lingering knee injury may have played a big role in that decision. The veteran has missed four of the past five contests, and the short week heading into Kansas City seems to be a less than ideal time for him to return. Regardless, his practice status on Tuesday will serve as a better indicator, given that the team simply did a walk-through Monday.
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Chargers' Brandon Mebane: Non-participant Monday
Rotowire
3H ago
Mebane (personal) was listed as a non-participant on Monday's practice report.
Mebane returned to the Chargers' facility last week after missing two games to be with his family. The veteran defensive tackle continues to work his way back to game form, but he may not have enough time to get cleared before Thursday's showdown with the Chiefs. Look for his status in Tuesday's practice to be a major indicator as to whether he returns this week.
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Chargers' Austin Ekeler: Held out of walk-through Monday
Rotowire
8H ago
Ekeler (neck/concussion) was listed as a non-participant on Monday's estimated injury report.
Although it went unreported at the time, Ekeler has tended to a neck stinger of late, and he aggravated the injury Sunday against the Bengals, per Adam Schefter of ESPN. Ekeler also was evaluated for a concussion in the blue sideline tent, and while Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com reported the running back didn't enter the protocol for head injuries, his listed injuries on the first Week 15 practice report suggest otherwise. Fortunately, Ekeler was able to speak with the media Monday. On the other hand, he told Jeff Miller of the Los Angeles Times his neck is stiff, and he can't move his head much. With little time to recover for Thursday's game at Kansas City, Ekeler appears to be in major danger of missing his first game of the season. Elsewhere in the backfield, Melvin Gordon received the same listing on the practice report as Ekeler, which could lead to elevated roles for Justin Jackson and Detrez Newsome in the short term.
