No Surtain. No Slater. SoFi Gets Weird as the Broncos Visit the 0-4 Chargers

Sunday in Inglewood is not a clean football game. It's a triage ward with a kickoff time.

Broncos at Chargers, SoFi Stadium, 1:05 p.m. PT on CBS — Week 5 of the 2026 season, per ESPN's schedule. Denver is 2-2. Los Angeles is 0-4. And the injury reports look like they were written by someone who lost a bet with the training staff.

Denver's problem: no Pat Surtain II

The Broncos ruled out both starting cornerbacks for Sunday: Pat Surtain II (ankle) and Riley Moss (ribs), per DenverBroncos.com's Aric DiLalla and NBC Sports' Josh Alper. Both were hurt in last week's loss to the 49ers. Neither practiced this week.

That is not a small thing. Surtain is the 2024 Defensive Player of the Year conversation piece. Without him and Moss, Denver is expected to start Kris Abrams-Draine and Jahdae Barron on the outside, with Ja'Quan McMillian as the primary nickel, per the Denver Gazette's Chris Tomasson (reporting from team comments).

Coordinator Vance Joseph already said he can't call the defense the same way without those two. That's a free tip for Justin Herbert: throw it outside.

Wide receiver Pat Bryant (ankle) was also placed on injured reserve Friday, Alper reported, so Denver is thin on both sides of the ball in the secondary and at receiver.

Los Angeles' problem: everything

We've already covered the Chargers' body count here. The short version for Sunday morning:

OUT: Joe Alt (neck), Kayode Awosika (fibula), Trevor Penning (concussion), Quentin Johnston (chest), Brenen Thompson (quad), Donte Jackson (hamstring), Derwin James Jr. (hamstring), per Chargers.com.

IR (and not coming back soon): Rashawn Slater (ankle).

Not expected to play: Ladd McConkey (foot). He was listed as questionable after missing all three practices, but ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Sunday morning he is not expected to suit up, with CBS Sports / RotoWire echoing that he's not slated to play. Confirm with inactives (~11:35 a.m. PT).

So Herbert is walking into an AFC West game without his left tackle, his right tackle, his star safety, and likely his top receiver. Cool. Totally normal. Nothing to see here.

The chess match

Denver's pass rush gets a gift: backup tackles. Chargers.com notes Herbert has faced one of the highest pressure rates in the league through four weeks and is tied for the league lead with six interceptions. The Bolts' 10 turnovers are tied for most in the NFL.

That's the Broncos' path: pressure early, force a mistake, sit on a lead.

Herbert's path: quick game, checkdowns, and attack the corners who are not named Surtain. If McConkey is out, the healthy receiver room leans on Tre' Harris, Derius Davis and Marquez Valdes-Scantling, per Chargers Wire's Gavino Borquez.

Our take (opinion): this is the weirdest "must-win" of the week. An 0-4 team with a shredded roster still has a pulse if Herbert can exploit a secondary without its best player. Lose at home to a division rival and the season starts smelling like a fire drill.

Fantasy calls (free, no sportsbook)

• Justin Herbert: streaming QB with upside if you need one. Soft secondary, ugly offensive line. Volatility city.
• Tre' Harris: deep-league dart if McConkey is inactive. Targets have to go somewhere.
• Courtland Sutton / Denver WRs: James and Jackson are out on the Chargers' back end — that's a green light for Bo Nix's top targets.
• Ladd McConkey: sit him unless inactives shock everyone.

Check the inactive list before you lock anything. Statuses move.

Bolt up — or at least bubble-wrap the left tackle.