Here's a look at San Diego Chargers Hashmarks for Aug. 27: Three players placed on IR, blackout news, Te'o watch and more.
Magic Number 75
The Chargers placed three players on Reserve-Injured Tuesday: Wide receiver Dan DePalma (shoulder); fullback Chris Gronkowski (ankle); and wide receiver Mike Willie (knee). With those moves, the team reached its 75-man limit. The Chargers need to whittle that down to 53 players by 3 p.m. Saturday.
Watch If You Wish
If you want to watch second and third-string players take their final shot at making the 53-man roster, turn on your TV Thursday night. The local blackout has been lifted and the game will be shown at 7 p.m. on CBS 8.
Manti Watch
Manti Te'o was spotted on the field Tuesday sans walking boot. He tested his foot and did not formally practice with his teammates, but, as head coach Mike McCoy said, "It's a step in the right direction."
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The challenge for Te'o will be overcoming the lack of game reps. Nothing can simulate actually playing against an opponent, which makes those preseason games so crucial, especially for rookies. The only time Te'o has seen game action has been the preseason opener, way back on Aug. 8. Physically, he is behind.
"Its anxiety," Te'o said. "You just want to get out there and play. You see everyone having fun and running around and you just watch and get your mental reps. It's more that I just can't wait to get back out."
The linebacker admitted to feeling nerves in his first and only preaseaon game, but dismissed the idea that would be an issue come regular season.
"I already went through the nerves," Te'o said. "I did have some reps in the first preseason game and all those first game jitters. I experienced that already. Every player is gonna get nervous before a game. It's a good sign, it means you're excited."
A Trip Down Memory Lane
Head coach Mike McCoy, who hails from San Francisco, spoke Tuesday about his hometown team.
“I grew-up watching some of the greatest quarterbacks of all time play the game," McCoy said. "It was a great way, as a little kid, to run around and jump under fences to get autographs. My grandfather was the head gate-man out at Candlestick and now my uncle does it. It was a great opportunity, as a kid, to see that every Sunday, especially when they were winning Super Bowls.”
McCoy's favorite player as a child? Joe Montana.
