PRO FOOTBALL REPORT : WEEKDAY UPDATE : CHARGERS : Injuries Plague Offense, Defense

Injuries continue to plague the Chargers’ offensive backfield. Running back Marion Butts suffered a knee strain in Sunday’s 27-10 to Kansas City, though it doesn’t appear he will miss next week’s game against Seattle.

Tight end Rod Bernstine, who shares duties with Butts, played only a few downs Sunday before taking himself out. Bernstine missed last Sunday’s game against Denver after sustaining a hamstring injury during practice the previous week.

Also on the mend is quarterback Billy Joe Tolliver, who played the second half of Sunday’s game with both a groin strain and a knee strain.

“I’m fine,” Tolliver said. “The groin’s a little stiff, the knee is fine. All us fast guys have those problems with our muscles getting pulled all the time.”

For the record, Tolliver’s time in the 40-yard dash is 5.0.

The linebackers aren’t in great shape either. Junior Seau suffered a groin pull in practice last week and sprained his ankle in Sunday’s game, and Richard Brown and Cedric Figaro both have hamstring strains.

After Charger players finished their meetings Monday morning, they spent the afternoon boxing food and distributing it to needy families around the county. For the second year in a row, safety Martin Bayless organized the project.

Bayless got the idea from his days in Buffalo, where he played for the Bills from 1984-86.

“In Buffalo, a lot of the veteran players would get together and raise money,” Bayless said. “We’re here to play football, and that’s our number one job. But during the holiday season it’s awfully nice to go out and be able to meet a lot of people and touch some hearts of people who really need help in this community.”

Tolliver took part in Monday’s food distribution. A reporter asked him if he was booed by anybody he visited.

He laughed, and then told the story of his first NFL start last season against Seattle. His parents were in town. He played and was yanked midway through the game after a subpar performance. That night, his father had a chat with him.

“He just looked at me and said: ‘You’re a flop, aren’t you?’ ” Tolliver said. “That’s my dad. I guess if I can handle it from my dad I can handle the fans.”