Chargers WR Ladd McConkey’s injuries become hot topic ahead of training camp

Los Angeles Chargers Sophomore receiver Ladd McConkey broke out in a big way as a rookie, which is almost an understatement.

McConkey, after all, caught 82 passes for 1,149 yards, shattering franchise records. He also scored seven times in 16 games, before doing everything he could to carry the entire passing attack on his back in the playoff loss to Houston.

A negative aspect of McConkey’s game? Injuries. This is why it is recently talked about learning how to take a fall and other steps to avoid injury.

It’s also why wide receivers coach Sanjay Lal was blunt on the subject in a recent interview.

“We don’t want it to be crushed.” Lal said. “Ladd is a competitor; he’s going to try to catch the ball, and if there’s three people there, he’s going to try to go through them all. But it’s the NFL, you’re going to get hurt.”

McConkey technically only missed one game last year, but he dealt with several injuries. There was the hip injury in Week 6, then the shoulder and knee injuries in Week 13. Other stubborn things and wear and tear were likely factors at some point as well.

The solution is a combination of McConkey doing a better job protecting and not overdoing it in the moment, of course. But it’s also up to the Chargers to build a more robust offense that doesn’t demand as much of him.

To that end, the Chargers upgraded the offensive line, adding Najee Harris and first-rounder Omarion Hampton to the backfield and bringing back Mike Williams for the passing attack before taking Tre Harris in the second round.

In theory, all of the above, plus McConkey’s adaptations, could be enough to avoid sustainability issues in 2025.