It is ridiculous what Keenan Allen can do when healthy, a reminder he gave Sunday for the first 28 minutes of the Chargers’ season opener. He was a savant at the line of scrimmage, running a route-running clinic against the Chiefs’ secondary. He toyed with cornerback Marcus Peters. He caught six passes for 63 yards and drew two penalties seemingly without sweat.

Then, he fell to the ground.

Allen’s luck with injuries.

Ridiculous.


The Chargers believe Allen suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament at Arrowhead Stadium, sources said Sunday. While expected to miss the remainder of the 2016 season, he is scheduled for an MRI on Monday back in San Diego to gain further clarity on the full extent of damage to his right knee. This marks Allen’s second major injury in as many games played. Last season, in Week 8, he lacerated his kidney on a touchdown catch against the Ravens, ending his year.

Sports writers Kevin Acee and Michael Gehlken discuss the Chargers devastating loss to the Chiefs in game one after leading 24-3 only to lose 27-33 in overtime.

Tight end Antonio Gates was among the teammates to see Allen in the halftime locker room.

“He said, ‘I’m done.’ He knew what it was,” Gates said. “In my opinion, he’s the best receiver in the NFL. I expected him to play like that this year. Watching him work this offseason and then pushing him, showing him how to be a No. 1 guy. I’ve been there. I was expecting him to have a humongous year, even bigger than the one he had last year. It’s unfortunate. I know how bad he wanted this.


“Life goes on. It’s a learning lesson for everybody, guys who are on this team, guys that weren’t expected to play but now are, a guy who was a No. 2 who now is a No. 1. Guys like Travis (Benjamin), Tyrell (Williams) and Dontrelle (Inman), myself and the guys around, we’ve got to step up as a committee and try to pick up the slack for a guy like Keenan, which is hard. At the end of the day, it’s hard because the boy is good.”

Allen on top of his game is a sight to see.

And so, it was a cruel scene that developed with just under two minutes remaining in the first half, an emotional Allen gripping his knee after falling to the ground away from the action of a short Philip Rivers pass to running back Danny Woodhead. He was carted off the field.

Allen, 24, signed a four-year, $45 million extension in June. He has been unable to shake injury misfortune.


Before last year’s freak injury, which came from the impact of falling hard in the end zone, a broken collarbone ended his sophomore season in 2014. His final college season at California ended with a sprained posterior knee ligament. Notably, that was to his left knee, not right.

Allen caught 67 passes for 725 yards and four touchdowns in 2015.

He posted a message on Instagram following Sunday’s game.

“Look that fear/obstacle/trial/situation in the eye and tell it ... You won’t stop me!” Allen wrote. “You can’t stop me! I was built for this! Sometimes we need things like this not because we are (too) high of ourselves but simply because God has a set plan. Head high! Smiles up! Back to the lab.”

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