Chargers safety Derwin James expected to miss 'significant time' with knee injury

Derwin ames will miss the opener against the Bengals

CINCINNATI — The Bengals host the Chargers in the season opener on Sept. 13 at Paul Brown Stadium. 

Los Angeles is going to be without one of their best players, as safety Derwin James suffered a meniscus tear in practice on Saturday. 

"He is expected to miss significant time," Ian Rapoport said on NFL Network. "We're gonna get a firm timeline as soon as he has surgery... His options are 4-6 weeks if all they have to do is trim the little piece of the meniscus. That would mean a potential October or so return for Derwin James. And then there is the other possibility if they have to do a full repair of the meniscus where he could miss three months or more."

This is a huge loss for the Chargers, who have one of the top defenses in the NFL. James was an All-Pro as a rookie in 2018, but only played in five games last season due to a foot injury. 

The Bengals get a break after dealing with multiple injuries of their own during training camp. Cincinnati will be without starting cornerback Trae Waynes, who underwent surgery to repair a torn pectoral muscle he suffered early in training camp. 

Joe Burrow needs all the help he can get. Not having to worry about James in the secondary is a big deal. 

The third-year safety had 105 tackles (75 solo), three interceptions and 3.5 sacks as a rookie in 2018. 

For more on the Bengals, go here and hit the follow button!