Chargers vs. Chiefs: Hunter Henry, Russell Okung limited in practice

The Los Angeles Chargers are dealing with several players limited in practice as they prepare to travel to Kansas City on Saturday to face the Chiefs.

It’s late in the season and NFL teams are tired.

There’s no way around the physical toll that each and every game on the NFL schedule requires, so at this point in the season in mid-December, it’s not surprising to see every team dealing with several limited players in practice. It does not necessarily mean they won’t be ready to play when needed. It’s just that some players, for various reasons, need a moment to sit out.

Thus it makes it hard to tell how to read the Los Angeles Chargers injury report as they prepare to face the Kansas City Chiefs in what is a must-win game for both teams if they want to punch their ticket to the postseason.

On Tuesday, the Chargers suited up for a practice in which several key players were limited, including tight end Hunter Henry, offensive tackle Russell Okung, linebacker Denzel Perryman and defensive lineman Corey Liuget.

Henry is going to be an interesting player to watch on Saturday night because he was a complete non-factor in the initial match-up between the two teams in Week 3—as in he had 0 catches on the day. On the season, he has 42 catches for 554 receiving yards and 4 touchdowns, so he’s clearly a nice target that will be tough for the Chiefs to cover, especially if Antonio Gates is also in the game.

Both Okung and Spencer Pulley, at center, are starters for the Chargers offensive line, so the fact that both players are limited could bode well for the Chiefs’ ability to generate the same sort of pass rush up front that they did against the Oakland Raiders in a win on Sunday.