Chargers Get Even More Bad Injury News on Top Rookie
The Los Angeles Chargers' roster has undergone a serious facelift this offseason, with Jim Harbaugh setting the team up with personnell that match his smashmouth style of football. Part of this included revamping the defensive front, and a major addition was spending a third-round pick on former Michigan linebacker Junior Colson.
But after already dealing with some injury issues as OTAs, Harbaugh announced some more bad news for Colson on Wednesday.
Jim Harbaugh said rookie LB Junior Colson had surgery to have his appendix removed after discovering he had appendicitis. He Isn’t sure when Colson will be back. pic.twitter.com/19myFNozuh
— Kris Rhim (@krisrhim1) July 24, 2024
Chargers News: Junior Colson Facing New Injury Issue
Junior Colson is out indefinitely after suffering appendicitis and undergoing surgery to have his appendix removed. This will sideline him for a potentially significant number of the Chargers' training camp practices.
First and foremost, we obviously all wish Colson the best in his recovery from the surgery. It's also a tough blow for the 21-year-old linebacker.
Colson has a legitimate shot at a starting spot in his rookie season. The No. 69 overall pick has a history with Jim Harbaugh, and the Chargers aren't exactly flush with options for off-ball linebackers to start alongside Denzel Perryman.
But injuries in OTAs and now missed training camp practices threaten to slow his development. Appendicitis is obviously outside of his control and it's not like this will hurt his standing in the coaches' eyes, but any missed time is significant. It means missed opportunities to build chemistry with your teammates and fewer chances to show what you're capable of when slotted into the lineup.
Colson will be competing with 2023 third-round pick Daiyan Henley and three-year vet Nick Niemann (among other more long-shot names like Shane Lee) for a starting spot. He was a serious standout in the Michigan Wolverines defense in 2023, which made him the second off-ball linebacker to be selected in the 2024 NFL Draft. According to his NFL.com prospect profile, Colon has all the physical tools needed to succeed at the next level, but things like play recognition need to be improved.
Hopefully he'll be back on the practice field to shore up those weaknesses in time to become an impact player in the Chargers defense in his rookie season. FanDuel Sportsbook has him tied for No. 10 in the odds to win Defensive Rookie of the Year +3500) this year.
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