Bryan

Bulaga

Bulaga, 33 in six days, missed all but one game last season with a back injury and core-muscle surgery. He played just 11 games for the Chargers after signing a three-year, $30 million contract in the 2020 offseason. The Chargers seem set to move forward with Storm Norton or Trey Pipkins at right tackle. Bulaga is at the age where he could bounce around as filler until he proves himself healthy. If he proves himself healthy.

Bulaga was placed on injured reserve after going down in Week 1. He is now eligible to return but is clearly a long way from playing again this year. Storm Norton has been starting in place of Bulaga. Pro Football Focus has graded Norton as a middling run-blocker and a poor pass-blocker. Despite his uninspiring tape, the Chargers’ offense should continue to put points on the board against Baltimore this week.

Bulaga played about a half of the Week 1 win over Washington before going down. Coach Brandon Staley labeled him “day to day,” but that’s obviously not the case. The 32-year-old has a history of back issues. He’ll miss at least the next three games. Storm Norton replaced Bulaga at right tackle in Week 1. To take Bulaga’s roster spot, the Chargers signed veteran OT Michael Schofield. Bulaga has played a full 16-game season just twice in the last 10 years.

Bulaga played for roughly a half before suffering a back injury in Week 1 against Washington. After the game, Chargers coach Brandon Staley noted that Bulaga was day-to-day with the injury. The Chargers’ line was able to keep a crushing Football Team pass-rush at bay for most of their matchup, only allowing two sacks throughout the contest. If they can mount a similar performance against a far weaker opponent in Dallas this week, Herbert should torch the Cowboys. Bulaga’s health will be worth monitoring heading into Sunday.

Bulaga missed a lot of time in 2020, his first season with the Chargers. The 31-year-old dealt with a lingering back injury and ended his season with a foot injury. Los Angeles simply has to figure out their team’s troubling injury history. It seems to be an issue every single season. Bulaga will be back to protect Justin Herbert next year. His contract runs through the 2022 season. Joey Bosa, Casey Hayward, Keenan Allen, and others will miss the season finale.

Because it’s the Chargers, there’s been no media attention on how the Bolts’ top two linemen have missed close to two months of football without going on injured reserve. It’s the latest medical staff oddity, although it appears that both players have a chance of playing on Sunday after practicing in full on Friday. The Chargers offense has been rolling despite below-average play up front because Herbert’s been delivering downfield shots under pressure ever since starting for the lung-punctured Tyrod Taylor.

Neither practiced all week, keeping their injury status as week to week. Justin Herbert has done well under pressure, but the Chargers offensive line is in the danger zone with their C, RG, and RT all sidelined. Their left side of the line entered the season as one of the worst, too.

RG Trai Turner (groin, out) and Turner’s backup, Tyree St. Louis (concussion, questionable), are also trending towards being sidelined for Week 4. Tampa Bay’s defense has already stacked the league’s third-most sacks (12) and seventh-most pressures (31) through its first three games — an ominous outlook for rookie Justin Herbert under center. The Bucs’ defense remains a top-three option for Week 4.

RG Trai Turner (knee) is also listed as questionable. Center Mike Pouncey (hip) has already been ruled out. The Bengals won’t have Geno Atkins available for Sunday, but this is still less than an ideal situation for Los Angeles given that coach Anthony Lynn and Tyrod Taylor are expected to engineer one of the league’s most run-heavy attacks from Week 1 on. Taylor still qualifies as a low-end streamer since the Bengals allowed the most rushing yards to quarterbacks last year.

Bulaga started 111 games in Green Bay after they drafted him with the 23rd overall pick of the 2010 NFL draft. The nine-year veteran turns 31 on March 21, but didn’t show signs of falling off in 2019. Overall, PFF graded Bulaga as the league’s 13th-best tackle among 88 qualified players. Philip Rivers’ 35.5% pressure rate in 2019 was far higher than Tom Brady (29.9%).