Chargers tight end Hunter Henry tore his knee ligament while running an ordinary route during a non-contact workout on the opening day of organized team activities Authentic Dorance Armstrong Jr. Jersey , general manager Tom Telesco confirmed Wednesday.

Telesco declined to confirm whether the Chargers will go back to Antonio Gates to fill the suddenly gaping hole in their offense.

Henry is expected to miss the upcoming season while he recovers from his knee injury, which dealt an extraordinary blow to the Chargers' plans more than three months before their opener.

The franchise's second-round pick in 2016 was slated to fill a major role in the Chargers' offense after catching 81 passes for 1,057 yards and 12 touchdowns over his first two seasons.

"I'm not going to minimize it: He's a Pro Bowl talent with Pro Bowl intangibles," Telesco said. "As bad as we feel about losing him, and as bad as the fans feel about it, Hunter feels worse. This team means a lot to him. He means a lot to us. It's going to be harder without him, but let me be clear: We will adapt and move on."

Telesco indicated the Chargers haven't decided how they'll adapt just yet, and he is grateful they've got a few months to come up with a plan.

The GM was entirely noncommittal about the possibility on every Chargers fan's mind: A reunion with Gates, the franchise's career leader in receptions and yards receiving, and the NFL record-holder for TD catches by a tight end.

"Just looking at where we're at right now, we've got to look at really all of our options and what are out there, and kind of take it from there Jalen Ramsey Jersey ," Telesco said when pressed about the possibility of re-signing Gates.

The Chargers publicly bade farewell last month to Gates , who will turn 38 years old in June. Gates, whose 30 receptions last season were his fewest since his rookie season with the Bolts in 2003, already said he hopes to play in the NFL again this season.

Last month, Telesco cited a desire to increase Henry's role in one of the NFL's best offenses as a prime reason to part ways with Gates after 15 seasons. Before he missed the final two games of last season with a kidney laceration, Henry emerged as a top target for Philip Rivers, combining his size and athleticism with improved route-running.

"He's taking it tough, as you'd expect," Telesco said. "He loves this team, and we love him, too, and he wants to be a part of it this year. ... He feels like he let us down. I told him Authentic Sampo Ranta Jersey , 'Look, you did not let this football team down. You went out there, and you're practicing the way you always do, and these things happen.'"

These things seem to happen dismayingly often to the Chargers. Their recent history is littered with major injury problems for key players at nearly every position except quarterback, where Rivers has played every game since 2006.

The Bolts largely avoided debilitating injuries last year during their relocation season, and they barely missed the playoffs at 9-7 after winning nine of their final 12 games.

With Henry injured and Gates unsigned, the Chargers have exactly one tight end on their roster with an NFL catch: Virgil Green, an offseason free-agent signee from Denver, where he was used primarily as a blocker. Braedon Bowman and Sean Culkin also are back from last season's team, but neither has significant NFL experience.

"We have some young players on the roster that we think have a chance to develop," Telesco said. "As we saw today in practice, they got a lot of extra balls today. So we'll see if some of those guys can ascend."

Chargers rookie defensive back Derwin James has been steadily improving throughout training camp Mike McGlinchey Color Rush Jersey , but the next two weeks should be a better indicator of how much the first-round pick will be able to contribute this season.

Los Angeles faces potent quarterbacks and passing attacks in its next two games. The Chargers host Seattle and Russell Wilson on Saturday while New Orleans and Drew Brees will be in for two days of joint workouts next week before their game on Aug. 24.

"Every week is going to be a challenge. You're competing against the best, so that pretty much tells you where you stand," said James, the 17th overall selection in this year's draft.

James should expect to see plenty of snaps Saturday. In last week's exhibition opener at Arizona, he was on the field for 29 plays in a 24-17 loss to the Cardinals. That was the most among defensive backs and tied for second-most on defense.

He also saw more reps during training camp practices this week as some of the veterans got rest days. He had two pass breakups on deep routes during 11-on-11 drills on Wednesday.

Defensive coordinator Gus Bradley has lauded James for his high football intelligence, and said he has picked things up pretty quickly in the classroom. But Bradley notes that what James is going through right now is common with all rookies.

"Now, it's coming out on the field and putting it together. He's in that phase right now, but it's coming," Bradley said. "If he makes a mistake, he knows right now. It's just that next step, which you see sometimes with young guys. You have to work not to think anymore, and he's kind of at that stage."

Bradley is playing James in packages similar to what he had the past three seasons at Florida State. He is lining up at safety in base packages but is also seeing some time at linebacker in nickel or dime situations.

James notes Melker Karlsson Jersey , though, that his biggest adjustment is knowing different formations, since most college teams run more of a spread with some up-tempo. James said Bradley's system is simpler than what he had in college.

"He doesn't ask you to do too much. It's pretty self-explanatory what he's teaching us," James said. "It allows us to play fast. You have to really do your job. It's less work, but it's more efficient work."

Wide receiver Mike Williams, who went against James while at Clemson, said he hasn't noticed James struggling during practices, especially when the two are matched up against each other in drills.

"He goes out there and makes a lot of plays. He has a big body back there at safety and isn't afraid of contact. He wants to hit you," Williams said.

James said he is anxious to take part in the Chargers' first home game Saturday at StubHub Center, but he is still focusing on continuing to improve his technique and trying to eliminate penalties with three weeks remaining until the season opener on Sept. 9 against Kansas City.

"There's not a lot of room for error. One step wrong and a guy is going the distance. You really have to hone in on what they're telling you and what you're doing," he said. "It's much different than high school where I can get away with a lot of stuff because I was more athletic than most guys. Now you have to come out here and do what you need to do."

Youth Philadelphia Eagles Jerseys