The Chargers will not place tight end Charlie Kolar on injured reserve, despite initial reports that he would miss an extended period after sustaining a broken forearm in Sunday’s loss to the Raiders.
Head coach Jim Harbaugh announced the decision on Wednesday, reversing the team's original plan to sideline Kolar for a minimum of four weeks. Harbaugh said that Kolar will not play this weekend against the Bills, however.
According to team reports, the procedure changed Kolar’s recovery timeline and offered a more optimistic prognosis than initially expected. Rather than locking him into a mandatory four-game window, the Chargers chose to keep him on the active 53-man roster, expecting him to return to action much sooner.
Kolar, who joined Los Angeles
this offseason on a lucrative three-year, $24.3 million deal, serves as the primary blocking tight end. His presence is crucial for an offense that relies heavily on multi-tight end sets to fuel the running game.
While Charlie Kolar avoids an official IR stint, the tight end room remains incredibly thin. David Njoku was officially placed on injured reserve after suffering a fibula injury in the same contest, leaving second-year player Oronde Gadsden II and recently signed practice squad addition Hayden Rucci as the only fully healthy options.
This article originally appeared on Chargers Wire: Charlie Kolar injury update: Chargers tight end avoids injured reserve
