Joe Alt injury update: Chargers LT carted off with ankle injury as Los Angeles continues to battle OL issues

The Los Angeles Chargers' offensive line has been dealt another blow with left tackle Joe Alt leaving Sunday's game against the New York Giants with an ankle injury. Alt had to be carted to the locker room after getting rolled up on in the first quarter.

Early in the first quarter, Alt was blocking Giants pass rusher Brian Burns when Kayvon Thibodeaux fell into the back of his right leg. Alt initially limped off the field with the training staff, but he was carted down the tunnel after reaching the sidelines. The Chargers have labeled Alt questionable to return.

This is serious blow for the Chargers' offensive line, which already had to do some shuffling when it lost Rashawn Slater for the season due to a torn patellar tendon. Austin Deculus, a fourth-year player out of LSU, has now replaced Alt at left tackle.

When Slater went down with injury, Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh expressed confidence in the rest of his team's ability to step up. That ability will be tested even more as Los Angeles is down to its third-string left tackle.

"I know my team. I know they're gonna step up," Harbaugh said. "I don't go with the cliché. It would be embarrassing to tell them 'next man up' or that we all have to step up for [each other] even more when you have a great player that is lost for the season. I wouldn't embarrass them with telling them that because I know they're gonna do it."

At the time, the Chargers had the luxury of replacing one former first-round pick with another at left tackle. Alt was the No. 5 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, and although spent last season at left tackle, the majority of his college career at Notre Dame was spent on the left side. Following a brilliant rookie campaign, Alt was named to the PFWA All-Rookie team.