Chargers' James officially out for season
The Los Angeles Chargers announced Wednesday that star safety Derwin James underwent successful surgery to repair a meniscus tear in his right knee and will be placed on injured reserve.
James will miss the entire 2020 campaign, but Los Angeles expects him to make a full recovery in time for the start of the 2021 season.
The former first-round pick suffered the injury during practice Sunday, and his initial reported timetable was pegged at six-to-eight months.
James took the league by storm as a rookie in 2018, earning Pro Bowl and first-team All-Pro honors. However, a foot issue limited James' sophomore campaign to just five games.
The 24-year-old is one of the NFL's true defensive chess pieces, lining up and excelling in multiple spots on Los Angeles' stop unit.
| Position | Career Snaps | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Edge/DL | 320 | 21.4% |
| Box safety | 644 | 43.1% |
| Slot CB | 265 | 17.8% |
| Outside CB | 33 | 2.1% |
| Free safety | 233 | 15.6% |
With James sidelined, the Chargers could deploy a committee approach at safety depending on defensive packages, with options including Desmond King, Rayshawn Jenkins, Nasir Adderley, and rookie Alohi Gilman.
Copyright (C) 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.