The Los Angeles Chargers continue to be one of the NFL's most snakebit teams.
Third-year tight end Hunter Henry suffered a torn ACL in Tuesday's practice, the team announced.
Coach Anthony Lynn originally downplayed the severity of Henry's injury, per the Orange County Register, only to learn later of the disheartening diagnosis.
Chargers players have sustained an aberrantly high number of ACL tears over the past few years, likely costing former coach Mike McCoy his job in 2017. The organization has conducted exhaustive studies attempting to identify trends and potential solutions to the rash of injuries.
The loss of Henry is a crushing blow for a team that won six of seven to close out last season. With the 2016 second-round pick emerging as one of the NFL's top all-around tight ends, the Bolts had the look of a top-five offense. It's no coincidence that their record improved from 0-3 to 9-4 once Henry replaced a declining Antonio Gates in the starting lineup.
The Chargers did sign Virgil Green for depth, but the former Broncos tight end has never cleared 25 receptions or 250 yards in any of his seven seasons.
In other words, it might be time to put in a call to Gates one month after informing the future Hall of Famer that he's no longer in the team's plans. Gates, soon to turn 38, has expressed a desire to return for a 16th NFL season.