Los Angeles Chargers running back Gus Edwards has missed the last four games due to an injury. What happened to Edwards, and how long will he be sidelined? Let’s break down the latest update and what this means from a fantasy football standpoint.
What Is Gus Edwards’ Injury?
Edwards hasn’t played since Week 4, when he rushed six times for 19 yards.
He suffered an ankle injury that caused him to land on injured reserve before the Chargers’ Week 6 win over the Denver Broncos.
Through four games with the Chargers, Edwards rushed 38 times for 113 yards and zero touchdowns.
Entering the season, some projected Edwards to be Los Angeles’ lead back, but that role instead went to J.K. Dobbins, who has 95 carries for 478 yards and three touchdowns. Even before Edwards got hurt, his snaps and touches were decreasing due in large part to Dobbins’ success.
When Will Edwards Return From Injury?
Edwards is eligible to return for the Chargers’ next game in Week 10 vs. the Tennessee Titans. However, it’s unclear if he’ll be ready to resume playing at that point.
There haven’t been any updates about Edwards’ status since the Chargers placed him on IR two weeks ago. We wouldn’t expect the Chargers to activate Edwards before he returns to practice. Even then, he would likely need a multi-week ramp-up, as the team would have 21 days to activate him after opening his practice window.
How Has Gus Edwards’ Absence Impacted the Chargers?
Edwards wasn’t very effective before his injury, averaging just 3.0 yards per carry with zero scores.
Even once Edwards returns from his ankle injury, it remains to be seen what kind of role he’ll have given Dobbins’ massive workload and sixth-round rookie Kimani Vidal’s recent involvement.
JK Dobbins had 25 carries last Sunday… Expect consistent fantasy football production week in and week out! pic.twitter.com/G4abx0xlfK
— Dynasty Nerds (@DynastyNerds) October 15, 2024
It would likely take an injury to Dobbins (and potentially Vidal) for Edwards to see an increased role and become fantasy-relevant.
Jim Harbaugh and Co. clearly aren’t concerned about wearing down Dobbins, as he’s averaging 16 carries per game (including a 25-carry game).
His career-high in carries for a season was 134 during his rookie campaign when he had 134 attempts across 15 games. This year, he already has 112 carries through just seven games. But is Dobbins’ workload sustainable? Given his injury history, this load is somewhat concerning, which is the main reason to stash Vidal or Edwards.