The Los Angles Chargers' victory Sunday in Baltimore continued their season. The win also allowed Hunter Henry to get back on the active roster.
The team made the move official Monday, announcing the tight end, who tore his ACL in late May, was moved to the 53-man roster. He replaces linebacker Jatavis Brown, who was placed on injured reserve after suffering an ankle injury.
The decision was expected after Chargers general manager Tom Telesco told NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport over the weekend that Henry was making progress.
"He's doing really well, but after conversations with our medical people, the decision was made to hold him out and it's just week-to-week from here," Telesco said. "I want every doctor to be 100 percent. He's perfect. He'll be ready to roll. He's not quite there yet. He hasn't had any setbacks. It's just, seeing where he is, we figured it was best to hold him back."
Less than eight months removed from the ACL tear, Henry strived to get back for the playoffs.
"Our people who administer the ACL rehab protocol were great, but some of it is just the effort you put into it," Telesco told Rapoport. "I think it helped him knowing there was a chance he can play this year and that drives him. That's a motivating factor. He really wanted to be part of this and when it happened, we told him, we'll do our part to make the playoffs."
Whether he's healthy enough to play versus the New England Patriots in the Divisional Round, Telesco noted the team would err on the side of caution before making a final decision. If active, the pass-catching tight end would add another dimension to the Chargers offense, even if his snaps are limited.
"I feel like he's ready to play," Chargers coach Anthony Lynn said, per the Orange County Register's Gilbert Manzano. "We'll wait until the end of the week to see where he's at and see if he can help us this weekend or not."
