Chargers Manti Te’o Likely Won’t Play Against Eagles Sunday

Chargers’ rookie linebacker Manti Te’o likely won’t play Sunday when San Diego takes on Philadelphia.

Te’o, the Chargers second round draft pick, has been out of commission since spraining his right foot in the preseason. He recently took off his walking boot and has increased his running.

Anticipation of the Notre Dame alums debut is high. Teammate Donald Butler jokingly told the media, “He is going to start week 7.” At Te’o’s current pace, that joke could very well be reality.

For his part, Te’o says he’ll be back soon and that he is “the biggest cheerleader on the sideline.”

The Chargers will need Te’o back as soon as he is ready. The team looked good in the first half Monday night against Houston, but faltered badly in the second half. Without much effort, the Texans took a 28-7 deficit and turned it into a 31-28 victory.

With Manti Te’o out for at least another week, the Chargers will have an even tougher time facing Philadelphia’s high speed offense. Te’o’s replacement in San Diego, Bront Bird, played decently on Monday, but faded as the game went on.

While at Notre Dame, Te’o was noted for his leadership and never give up attitude; a quality the Chargers could use this season as they try to recover from missing the playoffs last year.

At the end of his Notre Dame career, Te’o became famous nationwide for a fake girlfriend scandal. He was the very public victim of being catfished.

Te’o wisely stayed out of the spotlight until the draft while he repaired his image. The Chargers liked him enough to grab him in the second round of the draft. The move was considered a steal by draft analysts who believed Te’o had the talent to be a superstar.

Now, Manti Te’o just has to show that talent. He won’t play this week, but he should make his debut soon. Keep an eye on San Diego for when that happens.

[image via Wikimedia Commons]