Joe Alt, Quentin Johnston injury updates are huge news for Chargers' offense

Mike Moraitis

Joe Alt, Quentin Johnston injury updates are huge news for Chargers' offense image

The Los Angeles Chargers haven't had much good news on the injury front lately, but they received two pieces of good news on Thursday and they come in the form of wide receiver Quentin Johnston and left tackle Joe Alt.

According to Los Angeles' Thursday injury report, Alt practiced for the first time since suffering a high-ankle sprain in Week 4.

As for Johnston, he was upgraded from a limited participant on Wednesday to a full participant on Thursday, which is a sign that he's going to return after not playing in Week 6.

As for Alt, this does not guarantee he's going to play this week, but it does at least put him one step closer to getting back on the field, which will be music to Justin Herbert's ears after he has taken a beating this season.

With Rashawn Slater also sidelined, Herbert has been sacked a whopping 18 times, which is tied for the fifth-most in the NFL. Los Angeles' offensive line also ranks a putrid 28th in pass-block win rate.

Along with Alt and Slater, the Chargers have also missed backup Trey Pipkins, who is dealing with a knee injury that forced his early exit last week. Pipkins has not been practicing over the first two days of the week, so he looks set to miss a game.

A lot has been made about the Chargers acquiring another running back in the wake of Omarion Hampton landing on injured reserve and Najee Harris being lost for the season, but Los Angeles should also be exploring any and all offensive line options in order to improve things upfront for its franchise quarterback.

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Mike Moraitis

Mike Moraitis is a freelance writer who covers the NFL for the Sporting News. Over his nearly two decades covering sports, Mike has also worked for Bleacher Report, USA TODAY and FanSided. He hates writing in the third person.