The Los Angeles Chargers are heading into Hard Rock Stadium this weekend as road favorites over the Miami Dolphins. However, the Chargers are not walking in with a full bill of health. In fact, a number of key Los Angeles players not playing due to injuries could help the Dolphins pull off the upset on Sunday.
On the final injury report ahead of this weekend's game, the Chargers declared four players, including two starting offensive linemen, out against Miami.
Already without their top two running backs following the recent announcement that Omarion Hampton was placed on injured reserve, Los Angeles will also be without offensive linemen Joe Alt (ankle) and Trey Pipkins III (knee) for Week 6.
Additionally, Chargers defensive lineman and former Dolphin, Da'Shawn Hand (groin), as well as wide receiver Derius Davis (knee), will also be forced to miss Sunday's contest.
Dolphins-Chargers game status pic.twitter.com/j991B5SHsJ
— Travis Wingfield (@WingfieldNFL) October 10, 2025
Including left tackle Rashawn Slater, who was placed on injured reserve prior to the start of the season, Los Angeles will be missing three starting offensive linemen against the Dolphins this weekend. For Miami, that makes this Week 6 matchup a terrific opportunity for the pass rush to get home.
Miami Dolphins pass rush primed for big day with multiple Los Angeles Chargers offensive linemen out
Heading into the 2025 season, Miami's front seven was what several fans and analysts felt most confident about. Yet, they've been one of the team's biggest disappointments.
The Dolphins are among the league leaders in hurries to the quarterback, but they only have 11 sacks through five games to show for it. To make matters worse, they are an NFL-worst in opponent completion percentage allowed (74.5 percent), and we don't need to again get into how abysmal the run defense has been.
Los Angeles's offensive line had already been struggling to start the season, having given up 17 sacks through five weeks. Additionally, Alt missed last week's game for the Chargers, and it showed, as the offense couldn't get anything going after jumping out to a 10-0 lead against the Washington Commanders.
Washington's defense is better than Miami's (most NFL defenses are), but Sunday will be an opportunity for Dolphins pass rushers Bradley Chubb, Jaelan Phillips, and Chop Robinson to wreak havoc in Los Angeles's offensive backfield. That also goes for Miami defensive tackles Zach Sieler and Kenneth Grant, who have both played below expectations to start the year.
As mentioned previously, the Chargers are also down to their third and fourth running backs, Hassan Haskins and Kimani Vidal, respectively. Hopefully, that means Miami can slow down the run game and force Los Angeles to throw more than they'd like to.
Known for their own injury histories, the Dolphins' defense is in a prime spot to take advantage of a depleted team that otherwise would likely get the upper hand. In many ways, this is a must-win for both teams.
The Chargers got off to a hot 3-0 start this season, but have dropped their last two as injuries are once again starting to plague the West Coast team.
For the Dolphins, sitting at 1-4, the room for error is minimal if they want to make a run at the postseason. The odds would remain slim, but defeating a likely playoff team in Week 6 would go a long way in getting there.
However, it starts and ends with Miami's front seven taking control. And if they can't do it against a weakened Chargers line, will they be able to at any point this season?