The Los Angeles Chargers lost another one of their best players for all of 2020.
Center Mike Pouncey has been placed on injured reserve and will miss the remainder of the season, the team announced Thursday. The former Pro Bowler is slated to undergo hip surgery later this month. It will mark the second year in a row he's having a season-ending procedure, with this one coming before he got started.
Pouncey sat out last week's opener because of the hip, which he initially had operated on in 2016 while with the Dolphins. He missed 11 games last year because of a neck injury. He's otherwise been one of the best centers in football when healthy, earning four Pro Bowl selections since 2013 and starting all 114 games of his 10-year career.
Losing Pouncey is another major blow to a Chargers team that is already without star safety Derwin James for the year and revamped its offensive line in the offseason.
"On top of being a Pro Bowl talent, he's the ultimate captain, teammate and competitor," Los Angeles general manager Tom Telesco said, . "Quite simply, he's one of the best leaders I've ever been around. Mike's played a major role in establishing the culture and standard we now have in our locker room and sets a tremendous example, especially for the younger members of our team. I'm happy he'll remain around the team throughout the season, and all of us wish Mike a successful procedure and speedy recovery."
The injury could mark the end of the 31-year-old Pouncey's time in Los Angeles, as he's set to become an unrestricted free agent after the season. Fourth-year lineman Dan Feeney slid over from guard to start in Pouncey's place in the Chargers' Week 1 win over the Bengals.
