Mike Tolbert Injury: Update on Chargers Star's Concussion

The big story in today's contest between the San Diego Chargers and Denver Broncos involves Tim Tebow getting some reps, but the injury to Chargers running back Mike Tolbert must not be overlooked.

Tolbert was enjoying yet another solid game on Sunday, but the word from ESPNLA.com's Arash Markazi is that Tolbert's day has come to a premature end:

With Tolbert out for the rest of today's game and possibly beyond, let's discuss the implications of his concussion.

Fantasy Impact

After getting off to an excellent start this season way back in Week 1, Tolbert has been supplanted by Ryan Mathews as San Diego's primary running back. As such, fantasy owners shouldn't be relying on Tolbert too much to begin with.

Nevertheless, Tolbert is good for at least a few points week in and week out, and he's the kind of guy who can get you some cheap touchdowns. Don't drop him just yet, but definitely monitor his status.

Who's the Backup?

Technically, Tolbert is a backup. But in case you're wondering, the next man up for the Chargers after Mathews and Tolbert is Jacob Hester. He's having a solid game against the Broncos, but I wouldn't take that to mean Hester is a good fantasy option.

Devastation Scale: 6

Because Mathews has turned into the running back the Chargers thought he was going to be, losing Tolbert is not a huge blow. With Tolbert, they have lots of offense. Without him, they still have more than enough offense.

Timeline for Return

The Chargers have a bye in Week 6, so the good news is that Tolbert will have plenty of time to heal up. Expect him to be at or close to 100 percent when the Chargers return in Week 7 to face the New York Jets.

What They're Saying

Beyond assorted griping from fantasy football players, not much is being said about Tolbert's concussion.

However, the Chargers' official Twitter feed did reveal this cool little nugget early on in the game:

Not too shabby. I would say that Mathews and Tolbert represent one of the better running back duos in the league.