Ryan Mathews Out 4-6 Weeks With Broken Clavicle; Surgery Coming Friday

It has been an offseason filled with much hype for San Diego Chargers running back Ryan Mathews. Mathews was believed by many to be primed for a breakout season in which he could be the Chargers work horse and lead the league in rushing. He was also considered by many fantasy football experts to be one of the top running backs in fantasy this year.

Unfortunately for Mathews and the Chargers, their running back suffered a big setback in Thursday night’s preseason opener against the Green Bay Packers. The team won, 21-13, but have lost Mathews for at least a month.

According to Michael Gehlken of the U-T San Diego, Mathews suffered a broken clavicle and will be out for four to six weeks. He is set to undergo surgery on Friday, head coach Norv Turner said after the game.

The ability to stay healthy has always been a concern when it comes to Mathews and this is just further reason for the Chargers to worry about the longevity of their starting back.

While it is a setback for the promising back, Turner still has high hopes for Mathews this coming season.

“My hopes for Ryan (Mathews) have not changed. … I still expect him to have a great year,” Turner said.

It’s a very unfortunate start to the 2012 campaign for Mathews. He put in a lot of work this offseason to make the jump to the next level. The Chargers even got rid of Mike Tolbert to show their confidence in Mathews. Once Mathews is 100% and ready to hit the field for the first time in the regular season, expect him to run with an added fire.