With the Denver Broncos falling to the Los Angeles Chargers 34-27 on Thursday night, their defense took a key loss. Before halftime in Thursday Night Football between the Chargers and Broncos, linebacker Denzel Perryman suffered a groin injury, removing him from the game for a considerable amount of time. Perryman remained in the locker room after halftime, per Alex Insdorf on X.

At halftime, the score was 21-13, favoring the Broncos and making Perryman's exit even more impactful.

Perryman wouldn't return for the Chargers, however, leaving the game after just a quarter and some change.

Though the Chargers' linebacker made it back on the field for the first time since Week 10, his presence wasn't felt much, recording just one tackle on Thursday Night Football.

Perryman was out since Week 10 after missing the last four games with a nagging groin injury, which he seemingly reaggravated on Thursday night.

Chargers defeat Broncos as LB Denzel Perryman exits with injury

Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (10) celebrates as he leaves the field after defeating the Denver Broncos at SoFi Stadium.
Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Going into halftime of this matchup, it appeared the Broncos could extend their slim lead for second place in the AFC West.

However, Justin Herbert and Cameron Dicker led the Chargers on a valiant second-half run, out-scoring the Broncos 21-6 in the final two quarters of the night.

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With the Chargers looking to make their playoff push, depth is always a must.

And as the 2024 regular season closes, Los Angeles has two games remaining: New England and Las Vegas, two of the lowest-ranked teams in the NFL.

On the other side, Denver finishes their season with two difficult opponents: Cincinnati and Kansas City.

When looking at both teams' end-of-the-season, the Chargers might've lucked out considerably well. Instead of facing two high-powered teams in the Bengals and Chiefs, they end the year playing two teams potentially hunting for the first pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.

And with this crucial victory against the Broncos on Thursday night, their chances of ending the season in second place within their division improve dramatically.

However, with two must-win games remaining on their schedule, the Chargers' health remains one of the most important factors moving forward for Jim Harbaugh and his team.