The Los Angeles Chargers Are (Sadly) Cursed nfl By Lines June 3, 2025 We all should have seen it coming. The Chargers championship hype was fool’s gold. We were blinded by the light. We were blinded by Justin Herbert’s unbelievable talent, the offseason additions and a talented defense led by Joey Bosa and Derwin James. We were blinded by it all. Can you blame me? It’d be hard not to fall for something like that. But, in the end, it’s the Chargers. There’s a reason “Chargering” has become a common occurrence. It’s the same old Chargers, year after year. They’re cursed. Herbert has busted rib cartilage. Corey Linsley and JC Jackson, the Chargers’ two big-name offseason signings have been sidelined with injuries. Rashawn Slater, the Chargers All-Pro tackle, tore his biceps and is out for the year. LA’s No. 1 receiver Keenan Allen has a case of the Julio Joneses and has another hamstring injury while Bosa is now week-to-week with a groin jury. It’s Week 3 and pretty much every Chargers player who matters is dealing with an injury. The Chargers aren’t just trying to compete for a playoff spot, they’re just trying to survive at this point and we’re not even a month into the damn season. It’s just sad, really. Injuries are part of the game, but some teams just get hit harder than others. The only team with an argument about who is suffering more this year is the 49ers, who are down Trey Lance, Trent Williams and pretty much their entire running back room. But back to the Bolts… Some teams are able to weather the storm on the injury front. Teams like the Baltimore Ravens. But the difference between Baltimore and the Bolts is coaching. John Harbaugh is one of the best coaches in the league and has valiantly handled injuries throughout his tenure. The Chargers, on the other hand, are not well-coached. Brandon Staley’s on the hot seat and losing the locker room. The injuries certainly aren’t his fault, but how the team responds is. The Chargers have dropped two straight, including a blowout loss to the Jaguars. Staley gave way too long of a leash to Justin Herbert who was playing down by 28 in the fourth quarter against the Jaguars with broken rib cartilage. That’s a dumb move and could potentially anger some veterans in the locker room. The Chargers are 1-2 and aren’t even the worst team in the AFC West. Suck it, Raiders. But it’s hard to not feel like Los Angeles’ hopes of winning a Super Bowl a year after their crosstown rivals did are gone. Herbert can try to tough his way through the rib injury, and the team is too talented not to win games, but without Slater for the season and other stars for the near future, LA will have to get lucky to make the playoffs in a competitive AFC. It’s too bad. NFL fans deserve to see Herbert in some more high-profile games. He’s one of the best players in the NFL and should be a huge star. I would’ve loved to see Herbert go head-to-head in the playoffs with Allen or Mahomes or Jackson, but now we’ll be lucky if that happens. And if we do, we won’t be able to see Herbert fully unleashed because his All-Pro left tackle is out for the year. The Chargers offense will struggle to protect an already hurt Herbert and let him unfurl deep passes because his start tackles are Trey Pipkins and Storm Norton. We should all pray to whatever god you believe in for Herbert’s safety this season or else the Chargers curse could be even worse. Photo: Getty Images
