Luis Castillo's season for the San Diego Chargers hasn't been too different from that of their Kicker, Nate Kaeding. Both were injured early on in the first game of the season against the Minnesota Vikings, and both will end the season on IR after not playing after getting hurt.
The main difference between the two is that Luis was just put on IR today, three months after the Chargers decided that his broken leg would be healed and he could get back into football shape quick enough to help San Diego make a push for the playoffs. Now that playoff push is one of desperation and, when Castillo's rehab started slowing down, the team needs that roster spot for someone who can actually get on the field.
Of his seven seasons with the Chargers, Luis has played four full seasons and has missed time in each of the other three. This season marks the first time that he's played in less than 10 games in any season, and comes on the heels of three consecutive seasons where he's played in at least 14 games (shaking the label of being injury-prone).
Damik Scafe, a defensive lineman who was with the team before final roster cuts in the preseason, has been signed back to the roster to take Castillo's place and add another warm body to the defensive line mix.