Jul 21, 2025; El Segundo, CA, USA; Los Angeles Chargers tackle Joe Alt (76) at training camp at The Bolt. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The last thing the Los Angeles Chargers could afford to lose was another starting offensive lineman. That's what makes stellar second-year Joe Alt's status against the New York Giants so precarious.

In the early stages of the first quarter, Alt suffered an apparent ankle injury. He needed to be carted off the field for further evaluations. That's never a good sign, especially for someone in Alt's position who is subjected to much physicality and brute force on basically every single play. For a Chargers team already playing without All-Pro tackle Rashawn Slater and starting right guard Mekhi Becton, it would, quite frankly, be a disaster if they also had to play without Alt for a significant period of time.

Here was the scene as Alt was taken off the field:

Alt started 16 of 17 games for the Chargers last year, playing on 94.75 percent of Los Angeles's offensive snaps. Up until his injury here, Alt had appeared on 100 percent of the Chargers' offensive snaps so far in 2025.

Here's hoping for the best. For both Alt's and the Chargers' sake.

Who is Joe Alt's backup on the Chargers?

At the moment, Austin Deculus is listed as Alt's primary backup at left tackle. Deculus is a former sixth-round draft pick by the Houston Texans in 2022. He has one career start to his name.

This article originally appeared on For The Win: How did Joe Alt get injured in Chargers and Giants game?

Reporting by Robert Zeglinski, For The Win / For The Win

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