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For a rookie starter without any real backups behind him, this may not be good.
With Manti Te'o in walking boot, Bront Bird is practicing with the first team. Behind him is D.J. Smith. #Chargers
— Tom Krasovic (@UTkrasovic) August 10, 2013
Manti Te'o has a foot sprain, will be out for a week of practice.
— San Diego Chargers (@chargers) August 10, 2013
Not only are these important practices for Manti Te'o, who looked okay but not great against the Seattle Seahawks on Thusday, but missing the entire week probably means that Te'o will miss the preseason game next Thursday against the Bears in Chicago.
I'm also going to assume that this foot injury was caused in Te'o's first ever NFL game. That's usually not a great sign, but I seem to remember him being quite dependable at Notre Dame, so it's probably nothing to worry about this early in his NFL career.
Bront Bird looked good in limited time last season for the 2012 Chargers and looked good in practice earlier this year, but he's probably not a real starting option. It'll be interesting to see how D.J. Smith performs, as he gets bumped from the third team up to the second team to replace Bird.
More from Bolts From The Blue:
- Examining the new San Diego Chargers offense
- Random Thoughts on the San Diego Chargers After Last Night's Loss
- Film Review: Seattle Seahawks at San Diego Chargers, 1st Quarter (Preseason)
- Keeping Tabs on the AFC West: Wes Welker is happy to be away from Bill Belichick
- What is the San Diego Chargers biggest strength in 2013?