COSTA MESA, Calif. -- The Los Angeles Chargers sustained yet another setback in their secondary during practice Tuesday when cornerback Trevor Williams injured his left ankle and had to be helped off the field.
Williams, 24, suffered the injury while guarding receiver Mike Williams on a go-route, appearing to get tangled up with the second-year pro while going to the ground. Williams remained on the sideline while being treated by trainers and was assisted off the field by teammate Jahleel Addae, receiving more treatment from the medical staff in the training tent.
At the end of practice, Williams had a walking boot on his left foot and needed crutches to get on the bus to the team hotel.
Chargers coach Anthony Lynn said Williams suffered a sprained ankle and that he hopes that the injury is not more serious.
"He'll bounce back," defensive tackle Brandon Mebane said. "It sucks, but it's part of the game. Sometimes you're going to have guys go down, and you have to have other guys step up.
"Trevor's a great professional, and you know he's going to do whatever he can to get right back on the field. We're just going to wait on him and be patient."
The Chargers already lost Pro Bowl cornerback Jason Verrett for the season when he suffered a right Achilles tear during a conditioning test last week before the start of training camp. Tight end Hunter Henry suffered a right ACL tear in May and likely is done for the year, and undrafted rookie tight end Austin Roberts also suffered an ACL knee injury last week, ending his season.
Signed as an undrafted rookie out of Penn State in 2016, Williams had a breakout season playing in place of Verrett last season, recording 56 tackles and two interceptions while playing 953 defensive snaps.
With Williams out, the Chargers will rely on young cornerbacks like Desmond King, Michael Davis and Jeff Richards to fill the void.
"If Trevor's ankle is bad, then I would be concerned about the depth there," Lynn said. "But I'm also confident in those young guys behind him. They're stepping up and making plays in practice, and there's going to be a nice competition in that group. I think special teams is going to be a determining factor."