COSTA MESA, Calif. -- Winner of six straight games, the Los Angeles Chargers got some bad news on Monday: Linebacker Denzel Perryman is out for the season because of a left knee injury that will require surgery.
Chargers coach Anthony Lynn confirmed an earlier report by the NFL Network that Perryman suffered an LCL injury on the second play of a 20-6 win over the Oakland Raiders on Sunday.
"It's definitely a big blow to our defense," Lynn said.
Through nine games, Perryman is tied for second on the team with 51 tackles. He also has two pass breakups and an interception.
Perryman has had trouble staying on the field during his career. Drafted in the second round by the Chargers in 2015, Perryman has missed 15 of a possible 57 games and has finished two of the last three seasons on the injured reserve.
"Denzel is a starter for a reason," Lynn said. "Our rush defense is much better with Denzel in there, so we're going to have to pick it up collectively as a group now."
The Chargers likely will lean on Hayes Pullard and Kyle Emanuel, along with hybrid safety Adrian Phillips to help fill the void at linebacker.
Perryman is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent next season.