The San Diego Chargers have had one of the more disappointing seasons in the NFL this year and things got a bit worse on Tuesday as the team put two of its offensive stars on season-ending injured reserve.
According to NFL.com, the team placed both wide receiver Malcom Floyd and running back Ryan Mathews on injured reserve after each player suffered injuries against the Carolina Panthers in the team's 31-7 loss.
Floyd suffered an ankle injury in the game, while Mathews suffered a broken left clavicle. Floyd was having the best season of his career, making 56 receptions for 814 yards and five touchdowns. He developed a good relationship with Philip Rivers and had at least two catches in every game this year. He scored two touchdowns in the past four games and made a season-high six receptions in Week 2 against Tennessee in a 38-10 win.
Mathews is already known as an injury prone player and this move will not help him shake that off. The third-year pro left the Panthers game in the second quarter after rushing nine times for 22 yards. Even worse for the running back, Mathews already fractured his right clavicle in the preseason and was finally fully recovered.
Appearing in 12 games this season, Mathews has rushed for 707 yards and one touchdown. He has never played in a full 16-game season and rushed for a career-high 1,091 yards in 14 games last season. During the course of his career he has missed 10 of 48 games.
The Chargers have been dealing with injuries to the position all season, including to Mathews and backup Ronnie Brown, who has a hamstring issue. With Mathews and Brown out, it is likely that Jackie Battle will get the start next Sunday against the New York Jets. Battle has rushed for 225 yards and three touchdowns.
Mathews didn't break the 100-yard barrier in any game this year and had a season-high 95 in the 7-6 loss against the Cleveland Browns on Oct. 28. He scored his lone touchdown in Week 3 against the Saints and also made a season-high six receptions in that game for 59 yards.
The Chargers have been one of the most underachieving teams in the NFL this season. The team is just 5-9 and has lost five of the past six games after defeating Kansas City 31-13 on Nov. 1. The team has been solid stopping the run this season, ranking seventh in the NFL, but that's about the only thing they have done well.
The team is ranked just 27th in rushing and has had a disappointing year from Philip Rivers, who has passed for 3,290 yards and 22 touchdowns, but has 15 interceptions. The Chargers have played in many close games this year and have lost the majority of them, including an offensively-challenged 7-6 loss to the Cleveland Browns and in a 16-13 overtime loss to Baltimore.
The San Francisco 49ers will not be as shorthanded as the Chargers are when they take on the Seahawks on Sunday night, as defensive end Justin Smith will play after suffering an arm injury last week.
Head coach Jim Harbaugh spoke about the injury on his radio show in California on Tuesday and said that he expects Smith to suit up for the game against the Seattle Seahawks.
"Everybody affectionately refers to Justin Smith around here as 'The Cowboy,' " Harbaugh said on the radio, according to ESPN.com. "I expect we'll see The Cowboy. Knowing what I know of Justin Smith and the situation, I think The Cowboy will be around, saddled up ... roping and riding. If it's humanly possible, The Cowboy will be out there, roping and riding."
The 33-year-old has started 185 straight games, which ranks third among NFL players, behind Ronde Barber (213) and London Fletcher (197), according to ESPN.com.
Smith is considered to be one of the toughest defensive players in the NBFL and has transformed himself into an All-Pro defensive end since signing with the 49ers after seven years with the Bengals.
This season Smith has recorded 66 tackles and three sacks and has 75½ sacks in his 12-season career. Last season he had 7.5 sacks for the 49ers and has had at least 6.0 sacks in each of his four seasons with the team.
The Chicago Bears are dealing with some running back injuries, as the team placed backup Michael Bush on injured reserve on Tuesday. The team re-signed Kahlil Bell to take his place as backup for starter Matt Forte.
Bush signed a four-year deal in the offseason with the Bears and has rushed for 411 yards and five touchdowns while primarily being used as a redzone threat. Bell has played in 25 games in the past four season with the Bears and the New York Jets and has rushed for 32 yards on 12 carries this year.