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Kris Rhim, ESPN
COSTA MESA, Calif. — The Los Angeles Chargers ruled out wide receiver Keenan Allen (heel) for Saturday’s game against the Buffalo Bills.
It will be Allen’s second straight missed game after he was out of last week’s loss to the Las Vegas Raiders. Without Allen and quarterback Justin Herbert, who suffered a season-ending broken right index finger, the Chargers had one of their most embarrassing losses in franchise history, losing 63-21 to the Raiders.
The loss resulted in the firings of coach Brandon Staley and general manager Tom Telesco. Now, in interim head coach Giff Smith’s first game, he will be without Allen, who is in the midst of the best season of his career, setting the franchise record for receptions in a season with 108 two weeks ago against the Denver Broncos.
The Chargers haven’t disclosed specifics of Allen’s heel injury. It has been an injury that has kept players on this team sidelined for multiple weeks this year, such as safety Alohi Gilman, who missed three games, and cornerback Deane Leonard, who has missed the past two games with heel injuries.
“It’s kind of been the injury of the year,” Smith said. “I’m not a very good medical guy, obviously, with a commercial rec degree. It’s just been a weird injury this year.”
Smith said there had been no consideration for shutting down Allen for the remainder of the year.
“He’s working so hard and we’re going to support that,” Smith said.