Jason Verrett suffers Achilles injury

For a third straight season, the Los Angeles Chargers could be without the services of Jason Verrett. The cornerback suffered an injury during a conditioning test Friday morning and is currently undergoing medical evaluation, a team source told ESPN.

The 27-year-old Verrett has dealt with the frustration of a left ACL injury suffered during a Week 3 contest in 2016 that never fully healed, requiring a second procedure in September of last year.

However, Verrett worked without a brace this offseason and was fully cleared for the first time in nearly two years, with the hope of returning to Pro Bowl form in 2018.

If Verrett is out for the season, he will have missed 55 of a possible 80 games in five seasons with the Chargers. He was a first-round pick out of TCU in 2014 and played in the Pro Bowl after the 2015 season.

Third-year pro Trevor Williams played well in place of Verrett last season and likely will be tasked with doing the same thing in 2018.

Verrett is in the final year of his rookie contract after the Chargers picked up his fifth-year option. He is scheduled to make $8.526 million in 2018.

Trevor Williams, who played in all 16 games last year, is listed as Verrett's backup on the team's early depth chart. Williams had two interceptions and 56 combined tackles in 2017.

When healthy, Verrett has the ability to comprise half of one of the league's top corner duos alongside two-time Pro Bowler Casey Hayward.

At this point, though, it's clear his health is hardly a given.

The corner's injury casts a pall over an optimistic Chargers offseason. L.A. could have boasted one of the best secondaries in the NFL with Verrett, Casey Hayward, Desmond King, Trevor Williams, Adrian Philips and rookie safety Derwin James. Now the Chargers must press forward without a key piece.

Verrett's injury is another reminder of the Chargers' brutal injury luck. After losing tight end Hunter Henry this offseason, now they see their talented corner sidelined. The Chargers can't have nice things.