Chargers rule out S Derwin James vs. Seahawks with hamstring injury

The Chargers will be without star safety Derwin James for today's game against the Seahawks, ruling him inactive with a hamstring injury. Adam Schefter reported the inactive designation ahead of kickoff at Lumen Field.

James' absence is a significant blow to a Los Angeles defense already entering the game after an 0-3 start, needing a win to steady a season that has slipped early. He is the anchor of the Chargers' secondary, and facing a Seahawks passing game built around Jaxon Smith-Njigba without him puts substantial pressure on the safeties tasked with replacing his range and playmaking.

The team had listed James as questionable coming into the week, so the downgrade to inactive was not entirely unexpected, but it still leaves the Chargers shorthanded against one of the league's hotter passing attacks. With James out, Los Angeles will rely on its next options at the safety spot to hold up in coverage on Seattle's receivers.

For an 0-3 Chargers club, the loss of its defensive captain makes an already difficult road game steeper. The win column is what matters most now, but doing it without James — and with the offense under pressure to keep pace — shapes the challenge facing the visitors today.