EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- Tests confirmed a right ankle sprain for Los Angeles Chargers left tackle Joe Alt, who is "doubtful" in Sunday's game against the Washington Commanders, coach Jim Harbaugh said Wednesday.
Harbaugh said he didn't know if Alt would land on injured reserve.
"I don't want to speculate on the degree, but likely not to play this week, and we'll take it day by day," Harbaugh said.
Alt exited the first quarter of the Chargers' Week 4 loss to the New York Giants on a medical cart, after Giants outside linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux fell into Alt's right leg during a play early in the first quarter.
"It's part of the game," Alt said Wednesday. "We sign up to play this game and injuries are part of it. So my mindset right now is, 'Hey, it happened, now we just get back as fast as we can.'"
Without Alt, the Chargers' offensive line's play was putrid. Quarterback Justin Herbert was hit 13 times and sacked twice, according to TruMedia. Alt's replacement, Austin Deculus, struggled mightily. According to Next Gen Stats, he allowed six pressures in his 37 pass-blocking snaps, the most of any Chargers offensive lineman. The next closest were guards Zion Johnson and Jamaree Salyer, who allowed four each.
The Chargers already went into Sunday's game against the Giants missing two projected starters on the offensive line. L.A. lost Pro Bowl left tackle Rashawn Slater for the season in training camp after he ruptured his patellar tendon. When Slater went down, the Chargers moved Alt from right to left tackle and put backup Trey Pipkins III at right tackle. Guard Mekhi Becton also missed Sunday's game with a concussion.
Herbert has already been one of the NFL's most pressured quarterbacks, opponents have hit him 47 times this season, the second most in the NFL. Now, the Chargers could go into Sunday's game against the Commanders with three backup offensive linemen.
