Ladd McConkey looked primed for his best season yet coming into 2026 with new Los Angeles Chargers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel. And he was headed in that direction in Week 1 against Arizona, hauling in five catches for 82 yards and one touchdown, most of which came in the first half. But then he took a hard hit in the third quarter and sat out the rest of the game, a 26-14 loss to the underdog Cardinals.
It was later diagnosed as a rib injury, forcing him to sit out Wednesday and Thursday's practices before returning as a limited participant on Friday. With less than 48 hours to go before the Chargers' Week 2 matchup against the Raiders, McConkey has officially been listed as questionable for the divisional clash. More news: Cam Skattebo Fires Warning Shot at Aaron Donald Ahead of Giants-Rams McConkey, the Chargers' second-round pick (No. 34 overall) in 2024 out of Georgia, exploded as a rookie, posting 1,149 receiving yards and seven touchdowns on 82 catches, averaging 14.0 yards per catch.
He broke the Chargers' rookie record for most catches and receiving yards in a season, previously held by franchise star Keenan Allen. He still holds the NFL record for most receiving yards by a rookie in a single playoff game, going for 197 yards and one touchdown on nine catches in the Chargers' wild-card round loss to the Texans. But Year 2 was much different.
He finished with just 789 yards and six touchdowns on 66 catches, competing for targets with Allen, Quentin Johnston, and tight end Oronde Gadsden. This season was supposed to be McConkey's bounce-back, and he got off to a hot start in Week 1, but now it's looking like he could miss at least one game. More news: Browns Reunite Shedeur Sanders With Former Colorado Teammate More news: Aaron Rodgers Has Blunt Response to DK Metcalf’s Rough Week 1 Injuries aren't new with McConkey either.
He missed one game with a Grade 1 knee strain during his rookie season and parts of training camp last year with a calf strain. If he can't go Sunday against the Raiders, Johnston will likely take over as the team's leading receiver, with second-year wideout Tre Harris and tight ends Gadsden and David Njoku contributing as well.
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