Los Angeles Chargers Cornerback Jason Verrett Will Not Play on Sunday

Los Angeles Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn stated this week that “Jason [Verrett] is not where he needs to be. We’re trying to protect him.” Verrett has missed multiple days of practice and undergone an MRI this week. It seemed unlikely that the Chargers star cornerback would be available on Sunday against the visiting Miami Dolphins in the Chargers home opener, and today Los Angeles Times sports writer Mike DiGiovanna reported via Twitter that he would not play:

This is rather obviously bad news for a Chargers defense that struggled last week against a bad Denver Broncos offense even with Verrett on the field. The Dolphins have a superior passing attack quarterbacked by Jay Cutler and featuring receiving threats DeVante Parker, Kenny Stills, Jarvis Landry, and Julius Thomas. The Chargers will have to rely on Casey Hayward, rookie Desmond King, and possibly Mike Davis who could be activated from the practice squad per Ricky Henne: