Chargers defensive end Corey Liuget missed some time in the preseason because of a shoulder injury, but it didn’t stop him from playing in all 18 games the Chargers played in the regular season and playoffs.
That doesn’t mean that all was right with the shoulder. Liuget had surgery after the year came to an end to repair the labrum he tore in the team’s second preseason game. The injury likely limited Liuget during the season, although he wouldn’t use it as an excuse for what he felt was a disappointing performance. Liuget finished the year with 5.5 sacks and 42 tackle.
Liuget’s out of his sling now and has resumed working out with plans to be 100 percent by the time training camp rolls around. He’s also planning a major comeback, something that could be in vogue in San Diego with linebackers Melvin Ingram, Dwight Freeney, Jarret Johnson and Larry English also coming off injury-marred seasons.
“It’s going to be ugly,” Liuget said, via Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego. “And the things that we did — we weren’t one of the best defenses, but we played pretty good football. With those guys even down, we played pretty good football. I can only imagine once we’re playing with each other and keep practicing with each other, we’re going to be better and better and uglier and uglier. People aren’t going to want to play us. It’s just going to be scary. It’s going to be very scary.”
The Chargers will bring in more help via the draft this week and an improved performance from the defense would go a long way toward making the Chargers a repeat visitor to the postseason.