Chargers Place Seven Players on the COVID List Including Bosa and Linsley

The Chargers had to place seven players on the COVID list Monday. The players are edge rusher Joey Bosa, center Corey Linsley, edge rusher Chris Rumph, cornerback Tevaughn Campbell, cornerback Kemon Hall, safety Trey Marshall and returner Andre Roberts.

That means five defensive, one offensive, and one special team player will be on the list. When head coach Brandon Staley spoke to the media, there were fewer names, but he did give an update.

"For the game this week, Joey Bosa and Kemon Hall will be out for the game," Staley said.

So officially, they will be without their starting edge rusher and one of their better special teams' players. Everyone else is day to day, according to Staley.

"I think everything is kind of hour to hour right now, we kind of had our initial meetings this morning, and then we'll just have to wait and see as the week progresses, how that list either decreases or increases," Staley said.

Staley mentioned that the team went through the new COVID protocols that the league put in place on Monday.

A new rule is that if a vaccinated player tests positive but is asymptomatic and can produce a negative test before being cleared, they can return before they needed two tests in a 48-hour span.

"I think it's just good strategy in terms of altering the return to play mechanism, especially with the vaccinated," Staley explained. "I think they've done a really nice job of following the data, following the science in terms of how this is expressing itself within the league. There's been so many asymptomatic positive cases. I think what they're trying to do is avoid the asymptomatic positives, those people not being able to play in the game, so I think altering their stance is what you need to do."

Bosa is unvaccinated, so that is maybe why Staley ruled him out for Sunday. He now needs to quarantine for 10 days according to the new rules. Now a vaccinated player like Linsley still has a chance to play Sunday.

Without Bosa, it makes things difficult for the pass rush because he has been on a tear lately, having 9.5 sacks this season and having one in seven of the last nine games.

"It's going to be a team operation," Staley said. "You're going to be borrowing from a couple places, and you're just going to have to have a lot of hybrid type groupings available. It's going to be all hands on deck."

The positive news is that left tackle Rashawn Slater is off the COVID list and was back at practice on Monday.

Parham Update

Chargers tight end Donald Parham suffered that terrible head injury last Thursday night against the Chiefs. Staley said he spoke to the tight end three times since he was discharged from the hospital Saturday.

"He is safe and sound," Staley said.

He was diagnosed with a concussion and will take time to recover.

"I know his spirits are high, and it's been great to know that he's well and that he's on his way to recovery," Staley said.

Pro Bowl Voting

The Pro Bowl Voting list came out for the top vote-getters in the AFC and NFC. It was surprising when the top quarterback in the AFC was Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert with 213,904.

The other surprising player was rookie left tackle Rashawn Slater as the leading vote receiver for tackles in the AFC.

Both players are cornerstone players for the Chargers, so it is significant for left tackle and quarterback to potentially be headed to the pro bowl.