The Los Angeles Chargers are experiencing the kind of unconventional football season coaches and players learn from and hopefully laugh about later.
In a way, however, this succession of games played inside mostly empty stadiums has provided something of a gridiron rebirth for Greenwood native Cole Toner, 26, the former Roncalli player who has started two games at right guard for the Chargers.
The 6-foot-6, 310-pound Toner was in the trenches from the outset in two of L.A.’s recent setbacks — 31-30 at Denver in Week 8 and a 31-26 home loss to the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 9. He went into Sunday’s 20-17 victory over the Atlanta Falcons as the second-team right guard behind seven-year veteran Trai Turner, a five-time Pro Bowl selection.
Turner, who missed time due to a groin injury earlier in the year, exited Sunday’s game and was evaluated for a concussion. If he’s sidelined again, Toner might well replace him in the starting lineup when the Chargers travel to Las Vegas for a Thursday night game against the Raiders.
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Toner is also the Chargers’ second-team left guard and third on the depth chart as a center, and he’s on the field for field goal and point-after kicks as the right tight end.
“Versatility is definitely my thing, this season more so than in years past,” said Toner, a 2016 Harvard University product who entered the National Football League as a fifth-round selection by the Arizona Cardinals and has been with the Chargers since 2017.
“If I can play all five positions on the offensive line, it can lead to some longevity.”
Toner, a two-time all-Ivy League choice at Harvard who mainly played right tackle for the Crimson, has endured the emotional peaks and valleys of someone trying to continue living the NFL dream. As a Charger, he’s been signed to the practice squad, waived, released, re-signed and elevated to the active roster.
This year, Toner first moved to the active roster on Oct. 3 for the game at Tampa Bay, and moved back to the practice squad following a 38-31 loss. He was signed to the active roster on Halloween — a day prior to the loss at Denver — and been there ever since.
“That was a crazy week in general,” Toner said. “We really couldn’t practice for two days because I was contact traced to a teammate with COVID. There’s uncertainty the whole week, and the games are going to happen either way.
“I was definitely nervous, but I got some nice texts from family and friends. Both my parents (Dave and Angie), they coached for a long time, so it was nice getting separate texts from them.”
The game at Denver was played in front of 5,231 fans — a veritable lesson in social distancing at 76,125-seat Empower Field at Mile High — due to COVID restrictions. The home loss to the Raiders the following week had an announced attendance of zero.
“It’s definitely weird,” Toner said of the scarcity of spectators. “It’s kind of like a glorified scrimmage out there.”
Since the start of the 2019 season, the Chargers have lost 15 games by seven points or less, including six this season. The two games Toner started against AFC West division rivals were particularly deflating for a team that, not counting a lopsided home loss to New England on Dec. 6, appears to be on the fringes of becoming a playoff-caliber club.
“It’s really frustrating, but guys are trying to keep their heads up and finish the season strong,” Toner said. “Our roster moving forward should be super confident. We just need to find ways to finish games.”
