Danny Woodhead's season is over. San Diego Chargers coach Mike McCoy confirmed Monday that Woodhead is headed to injured reserve with a broken fibula.
"We're going to miss him. But we've got to move on," McCoy said.
NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reports Woodhead had successful surgery on his broken fibula on Monday, and also had sprained ankle ligaments, according to a source who has spoken to Woodhead. He is expected to make a full recovery and will be back for the 2015 season after signing a three-year extension in the offseason worth $7.5 million.
Woodhead is one of the hardest running backs in the league to replace because of his unique skill set. Woodhead led all NFL running backs last season in receptions and was a perfect fit in San Diego's new hurry-up offense. He's also difficult to replace because the team just lost starter Ryan Mathews to a knee injury that is expected to keep him out another month.
The Chargers are down to Donald Brown as their starter; he rushed the ball 31 times for 62 yards Sunday in Buffalo. Undrafted rookie Branden Oliver is also in the mix, but it's safe to expect the Chargers to add a running back or two during the week.
San Diego opened the season with some of the best running back depth in the entire league. It only took three weeks for that to change. The Chargers will ultimately rise and fall on Philip Rivers' arm, but the loss of Woodhead makes the offense less dynamic.
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