Joe Alt Tracking Toward Questionable Return Following Right Ankle Surgery

Chargers OL Joe Alt is tracking as Questionable following right ankle surgery, with return timing still uncertain as of late April. For a starting offensive lineman, ankle stability is a functional prerequisite — post-surgical ankle recovery requires not just pain tolerance but adequate tissue integrity to sustain the repetitive axial and rotational loading that defines OL play.

CLASSIFICATION: LIG or TEN / Grade 3 (surgical) / LE — Right ankle, post-operative; specific structure (ligamentous, osteochondral, or tendon) unconfirmed from public reporting. CONFIDENCE: Grade INFERRED from confirmed surgical intervention — surgical procedure confirmed, but anatomical structure and surgical type not publicly disclosed. Evidence Tier T2–T3 depending on structure. FLAG: SURGICAL — MD review queue flagged. Timeline anchored to surgery date, not injury date. Pre-surgical estimates superseded.

Because the specific structure repaired is not publicly confirmed, OTM is applying the most conservative biologically appropriate floor. Ligamentous surgical repair (LIG/Grade 3/surgical): 6–12 months biological floor. If this was a syndesmotic fixation, functional RTP is 3–5 months with biological healing continuing beyond that window. The "Questionable" designation in an April context — well within a plausible post-surgical recovery window for an off-season procedure — suggests the team is monitoring functional clearance ahead of training camp and the 2026 season.