Go ahead and leave your foil hats at home, people, Vincent Jackson isn't feigning an injury. I know it's fun to get caught up in the conspiracies and the drama surrounding the team, it makes for juicy stories. And I also know the timing of his "supposed injury" is rather suspect, but really, at this point he has a lot more to gain by playing than by being spiteful.
The object of much affection and adoration, the Union-Tribune's Kevin Acee, has come to the rescue and was able to talk with sources with the Chargers, and they confirm that Vincent Jackson is actually injured:
Amid much speculation about the timing of an injury in his first game back, Chargers wide receiver Vincent Jackson's calf strain on Sunday may actually have been precipitated by him trying to be a team player.
According to a source, who did not want to be quoted because he was not authorized to divulge injury information, Jackson tweaked his left calf in practice Friday and then injured the other calf Sunday, likely by overcompensating for the original injury while trying to play.
So wait, Vincent Jackson injured his calf because he was trying too hard, and practicing too much for the game? That doesn't really sound like a spiteful player to me.
Can we just let the conspiracy theories lay to rest now?
UPDATE: So tweeteth the Silver Fox:
Mike Tolbert just confirmed what I wrote earlier about VJ. Tolbert said he saw VJ tweak calf in practice & injury legit.