Chargers Rookie Corner Jason Verrett Out Indefinitely With Injured Shoulder
SAN DIEGO (AP) -- The San Diego Chargers will lose rookie cornerback Jason Verrett for at least one game and probably longer with a torn labrum in his left shoulder.
Verrett originally hurt his shoulder in a victory at Oakland on Oct. 12 -- which he sealed with a last-minute interception -- and aggravated it in a loss at Denver last Thursday night.
The first-round draft pick will miss the game at Miami on Sunday, when the Chargers (5-3) will try to snap a two-game losing streak. The Chargers then have their bye.
Both Verrett and coach Mike McCoy said it wasn't a mistake for Verrett to play in Thursday night's 35-21 loss at Denver. Verrett left in the second quarter and stood on the sideline in the second half with his left arm in a sling.
"No, not at all," Verrett said. "My goal is to always be ready every week. I tested it out pregame. I felt great. I just was trying to go out there because we were kind of short at corner. I just wanted to help my team."
Said McCoy: "We're not going to put anyone out there if we don't think they're ready to play. That's regardless of what the injury is, what body part. They spend a lot of hours in the training room to get better and get healthy and a number of players would play with certain things. Some play with his injury, some other players have played with it in the past, also. He's not the first guy to do this.
"It's an injury that we've been dealing with for a couple of weeks. He gave it everything he had in the Denver game until it got to a point where he couldn't play any longer," McCoy said.
Verrett played most of his senior season at TCU with a torn labrum in his right shoulder, which was surgically repaired in March.
"It's definitely frustrating just because I was coming off one that I had to deal with in college. It comes with the game," Verrett said.
The Chargers did regain a cornerback Thursday when Brandon Flowers was cleared to practice after missing the Denver game with a concussion. Flowers was hurt in a home loss to his former team, the Kansas City Chiefs, on Oct. 19.
"It feels good to be back out there. Being out is hard," Flowers said.
Flowers said it'll be a challenge with Verrett out.
"One thing we've been doing as a team, the secondary especially, is responding to adversity," he said. "I don't think we've had every guy on the field healthy at the same time yet this year. He's definitely a playmaker, a key guy for our defense and our team as a whole. But we've just got to pick up the load. The next guy has got to step up and make plays out there."
Safety Jahleel Addae has not been cleared after sustaining a concussion last week.
Also Thursday, running back Ryan Mathews said his rehab is going well. He sprained the MCL in his right knee in a victory against Seattle in Week 2.
"Being able to run again is encouraging. That's a big step," he said. "I'm very encouraged. The trainers are doing a great job and I'm just following their plan. Every time they put me through something I'm just trying to do my best."
Mathews hopes to be able to play in San Diego's first game after its bye, at home against Oakland on Nov. 16.
"That's a big target. I was trying to go for this game but I'm just waiting for the go-ahead. They're the professionals, not me," he said. "I can't wait to get back out there with my team."
Mathews said he was able to play a little bit of golf during his charity tournament on Tuesday that benefited the Trish & Ryan Mathews Door of Hope Chest.
"I tried a little bit. I finally gave up after a while. It's been a while since I played," said Mathews, who wore a brace on his knee while on the course.
