After being officially eliminated from playoff contention over the weekend, the San Diego Chargers ended the seasons of two of their top offensive players on Tuesday.
Running back Ryan Mathews and wide receiver Malcom Floyd were both placed on injured reserve after both got hurt in Sunday's 31-7 home loss to Carolina.
The move on Mathews was fully expected after the brittle running back fractured his left collarbone during the second quarter of the Week 15 defeat. He had missed the club's first two contests after breaking his right collarbone during a preseason game.
Mathews concludes a disappointing 2012 campaign with 707 rushing yards on 184 attempts, a career-low 3.8 yards per carry, while recording 39 receptions totaling an additional 252 yards. The 2010 first-round pick delivered his first 1,000-yard rushing season a year ago in addition to making 50 catches for 455 yards over 14 games.
Floyd, San Diego's top receiver, suffered a sprained ankle in the late stages of the Carolina game. The 6-foot-5 wideout leads the Chargers in catches (56) and receiving yards (814) and has scored five touchdowns this season.
The Chargers also put offensive lineman Reggie Wells on IR after he hurt his ankle during the second half of Sunday's loss. The veteran had started each of the team's last two games at right tackle.
In a corresponding move, San Diego signed rookie wide receiver Mike Willie and defensive end Damik Scafe to the 53-man roster from the practice squad.
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