Update (9:07 p.m. ET, Saturday): The Los Angeles Chargers placed backup quarterback Trey Lance on injured reserve, according to NBC Sports. Lance had been listed as doubtful for Sunday’s game against the Denver Broncos with a groin injury before the move, which means he will miss at least four games. Guard Trevor Penning, who had been in the NFL‘s concussion protocol, is now also on injured reserve and no longer appears on the injury report as a questionable or doubtful designation separate from that status.
The Denver Broncos travel to SoFi Stadium on Sunday looking for their first AFC West win of the season, while the Los Angeles Chargers try to avoid an 0-5 start for the first time since 2003. Kickoff is set for 4:05 p.m. ET on CBS, with Denver carrying a 2-2 record into a matchup against a Chargers team still searching for its first victory at 0-4.
The Broncos vs Chargers matchup carries plenty of weight for both sidelines. Denver sits second in the AFC West at .500, while Los Angeles is one of five winless teams left in the league. A loss Sunday would put the Chargers at a level they haven’t reached in more than two decades, while a Broncos win would give Denver its first divisional victory of the year.
Denver Broncos Vs Chargers Game Information
- Date: Sunday, Oct. 11
- Time: 4:05 p.m. ET
- Venue: SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, California
- TV: CBS
- Series: Broncos lead the all-time series 73-58-1
By The Numbers
- Points per game: Broncos 18.5, Chargers 16.8
- Passing yards per game: Broncos 204.8, Chargers 204.0
- Rushing yards per game: Broncos 81.3, Chargers 121.5
- Total yards per game: Broncos 286.0, Chargers 325.5
- Third-down conversion rate: Broncos 39.62%, Chargers 34.62%
- Red zone scoring rate: Broncos 81.82%, Chargers 91.67%
- Turnover differential: Broncos -1, Chargers -3
- Sacks allowed per game: Broncos 1.3, Chargers 3.0
According to FOX Sports, the Broncos rank 27th in the league in both scoring and total yards per game, while the Chargers offense ranks 29th at 16.8 points per game.
Chargers Injury Report Update
The Trey Lance injured reserve move was one of several roster changes the Chargers made ahead of their Week 5 game against Denver, according to NBC Sports. Lance had been limited in his first practice of the week before sitting out the next two sessions with a groin injury, and the team placed him on injured reserve rather than carry him as doubtful. NBC Sports reported he will miss at least four games. DJ Uiagalelei is now Justin Herbert’s backup quarterback following the move.
Penning’s path to injured reserve began last week, when he exited the Chargers’ loss to the Seattle Seahawks early with a head injury and entered the NFL’s five-step concussion protocol, according to CBS Sports. That protocol required clearance from an independent neurologist before he could return to full contact. He is no longer listed with a separate questionable or doubtful tag now that the team has formally placed him on injured reserve.
Tackle Rashawn Slater was also placed on injured reserve after undergoing right ankle surgery for a high ankle sprain suffered against Seattle, according to FOX Sports, which reported he will miss at least four games. Slater signed a four-year, $114 million extension in July 2025. Tackle Joe Alt is dealing with a neck injury and wide receiver Ladd McConkey has a foot injury.
Receiver Quentin Johnston and rookie receiver Brenen Thompson are also out, along with cornerback Donte Jackson, according to Yahoo Sports. With both Lance and Penning now on injured reserve, the Chargers enter Sunday missing a backup quarterback and two offensive linemen among their absences.
Denver Broncos Outlook
Denver enters having lost two of its last three games, including a 24-14 setback at San Francisco last week. The Broncos have scored 74 points through four games and are averaging 18.5 points per contest, numbers that have put the offense under scrutiny. Head coach Sean Payton took over offensive play-calling duties this week, taking the responsibility away from Davis Webb, according to FOX Sports.
Quarterback Bo Nix has completed 81 of 135 passes for 819 yards with five touchdowns and three interceptions, good for an 80.4 passer rating. J.K. Dobbins leads the rushing attack with 161 yards on 46 carries, while Jaylen Waddle, added to the offense this offseason according to Yahoo Sports, leads the team with 16 catches for 185 yards and a touchdown.
Denver’s defense has been stretched thin at cornerback. Patrick Surtain II is out with an ankle sprain, and Riley Moss is out with a rib injury, meaning the Broncos will be down both starting cornerbacks. Wide receiver Pat Bryant is on injured reserve with an ankle sprain, running back Jonah Coleman is on injured reserve with a target return date of Oct. 25, and linebacker Jonathon Cooper is out for personal reasons with an expected return of Oct. 15.
Los Angeles Chargers Outlook
Los Angeles has dropped five straight dating back to the preseason and was beaten 30-23 at Seattle last week. The Chargers have scored 67 points on the season, an average of 16.8 per game, the second-lowest mark in the league. Justin Herbert has completed 71 of 119 passes for 816 yards with four touchdowns and six interceptions, a line that reflects an offense still finding its footing under offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel.
Rookie running back Omarion Hampton leads the ground game with 238 yards and three touchdowns on 59 carries. Tre’ Harris paces the receiving corps with 13 catches for 209 yards, a group now missing Johnston, Thompson and a limited McConkey.
The Trey Lance injured reserve move leaves DJ Uiagalelei as Herbert’s primary backup, while the offensive line is already stretched thin with both Penning and Slater sidelined for extended stretches. Los Angeles could be forced to field a line built largely from reserves on Sunday.
Key Matchup
The Broncos defense against the Chargers offensive line is the matchup that could decide the game. Denver’s defense has produced 21 passes defended and eight sacks through four games, led by outside linebacker production, while the Chargers have allowed three sacks per game and surrendered 12 sacks total this season. With Penning and Slater both now on injured reserve, that protection problem has only grown heading into Sunday.
Los Angeles has given away the ball 2.5 times per game on average compared to Denver’s 1.3, a gap that has shown up in the Chargers’ 0-4 start. For Denver, the challenge is generating pressure without its top two cornerbacks healthy. With Surtain and Moss both out, the Broncos pass rush will need to get home quickly against a line now patched together by necessity.
Players To Watch
Khalil Mack, OLB, Chargers
Mack has recorded a sack in three consecutive games and represents the Chargers’ most consistent source of pressure heading into Sunday.
Bo Nix, QB, Broncos
Nix has thrown for 819 yards and five touchdowns this season, and his performance will carry even more weight now that Payton has taken over play-calling duties.
Omarion Hampton, RB, Chargers
Hampton has rushed for 238 yards and three touchdowns on 59 carries, the most productive piece of an offense now missing multiple starting offensive linemen and its backup quarterback.
What To Watch
Denver was one win away from the Super Bowl last season, according to Yahoo Sports, and a win over a winless divisional opponent would mark a step toward stabilizing a season that has started unevenly. The Broncos received a slight bump in power rankings this week despite their loss to San Francisco, partly because AFC East rival Buffalo lost to New England, per Yahoo Sports. For the Chargers, the stakes are more urgent.
Los Angeles has lost three of the last four meetings with Denver and dropped the most recent matchup 19-3 in Denver on Jan. 4, 2026. The two teams have split their last ten meetings at 5-5, but the Chargers have not opened a season 0-5 since 2003, and a loss Sunday would match that mark.
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