Rookie running back Curtis Brinkley, an undrafted free agent who signed with the Chargers earlier this year, was shot multiple times in Philadelphia earlier this month.
Though his injuries were not life-threatening, he won’t be playing football this year.
The Chargers have placed him on the non-football injury/illness list, ending his 2009 season before it could begin.
Under league rules, the Chargers are not required to pay Brinkley’s salary of $310,000. That’s precisely what happened in 2006, when linebacker Steve Foley was shot by an off-duty police officer.
To replace Brinkley on the roster, the Chargers signed running back Kestahn Moore, another undrafted rookie. He spent some time with the Broncos in the offseason, before being released.