Henley cleared after late-week illness scare
The Chargers got the update they needed before kickoff in Las Vegas: Daiyan Henley is active. The third-year linebacker, added late to the injury report with an illness, was listed as questionable for Monday Night Football against the Raiders. By late afternoon, the team cleared him to play, avoiding a last-minute reshuffle at a position already stretched.
That matters. Los Angeles is still without longtime starter Denzel Perryman, who remains sidelined with an ankle injury. Henley, now a defensive captain in 2025, has become the steady hand in the middle of Jesse Minter’s scheme. He started all 17 games last season and produced at a top-tier level: 157 tackles, one sack, one interception, and eight passes defensed. He opened 2025 in the same gear, playing every defensive snap in Week 1 at Kansas City and finishing with eight tackles and a sack in a 27-21 win.
The timing of the illness was awkward. Henley was a late addition to the Week 2 report, and the Chargers had to prepare contingency plans. Without him, they likely would have leaned on Troy Dye as the signal player, with Del'Shawn Phillips or rookie Marlowe Wax rotating in depending on down and distance. Instead, they keep their leader in place and avoid digging too deep into the depth chart against a divisional rival on the road.
From a usage standpoint, Henley’s availability keeps the Chargers in their comfort zone. Under Minter, the defense has leaned on versatile fronts, with linebackers asked to cover backs, carry tight ends up the seam, and trigger downhill in run fits. Henley’s range and timing make those pieces fit. When he’s on the field, the Chargers can stay in nickel on early downs without feeling light in the box, and they can disguise pressures without blowing coverage rules in the middle of the field.
There’s also a communication layer here. Henley, as a captain, handles the on-field checks and adjustments that help the front seven react to formations and motion. That’s especially important against the Raiders, who like to stress linebackers with bunch looks, crossers, and play-action. Keeping the defensive calls clean can be the difference between a five-yard gain and a broken play.
What Henley’s presence changes against the Raiders
Las Vegas will test the spine of the defense. Expect runs aimed at the A and B gaps to see if Los Angeles holds up without Perryman, and a steady diet of quick throws to manipulate leverage. Davante Adams commands attention outside, which often opens the middle for tight ends and slot receivers. Henley’s instincts in zone—especially passing off routes between the hashes—help the Chargers handle those layered concepts without blowing assignments.
On passing downs, Henley’s versatility gives Minter options. He can spy the quarterback if needed, mug the A-gap to force protection declarations, or carry a tight end in match coverage. In Week 1, his sack came off disciplined rush integrity—he didn’t win on pure speed; he won by staying in the lane and finishing when the quarterback stepped up. That’s the kind of rush discipline that keeps explosive plays in check.
If there’s any limitation, it would be snap management after the illness. The team didn’t indicate a pitch count, but coaches often rotate in spurts to keep a player fresh. Dye can handle early-run looks if needed, Phillips brings special teams toughness and short-zone awareness, and Wax offers energy in chase situations. Still, with the game close, expect Henley on the field when it matters—third downs, red zone, and two-minute situations.
The ripple effect touches the secondary, too. When the Chargers trust their linebackers to handle interior zones, they can lean more aggressively on outside help to Adams and the vertical shot game. That frees up safeties to bracket where needed and play with better angles on crossers. It also helps the pass rush: more coverage integrity means the front has an extra beat to finish.
Beyond scheme, there’s a leadership angle. This is the team’s second straight prime-time slot to open the season. Momentum is real in September, and keeping your captain on the field prevents the kind of domino effect you get when a late scratch forces backups into roles they haven’t repped all week. The Chargers practiced their Raiders plan with Henley in mind. They get to run that plan as drawn.
It also stabilizes special teams and sub-packages. Henley’s presence allows the staff to keep personnel groupings consistent, avoid emergency cross-training in the slot for a safety, and protect key contributors from overload. Defensive continuity shows up in small ways—clean huddles, fewer timeouts burned, faster alignments after motion. Those details win tight divisional games.
For the Raiders, the counter is simple: speed up the game, test tackling, and force the Chargers’ linebackers to play in space. That means screens, perimeter runs that cut back, and quick-game throws that challenge leverage. Henley’s angles and finishing as a tackler were a strength in 2024. If he carries that form into tonight, the Chargers limit yards after catch and keep the Raiders behind the sticks.
The big picture for Los Angeles is straightforward. With Henley active, they keep their defensive identity intact: fast, assignment-sound, and comfortable mixing pressures without busts. They don’t have to reinvent anything to cover for a late illness. And in the AFC West, where margins are tiny and divisional games flip playoff seeds, having your captain in the huddle on a Monday night in Las Vegas is more than a small relief—it’s the plan, back on schedule.
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