San Diego, CA (SportsNetwork.com) - The San Diego Chargers have placed starting center Nick Hardwick on season-ending injured reserve with a neck injury.
Hardwick had been bothered by the injury in preseason, but left the season opener against Arizona on Monday night with an ankle injury.
The 33-year-old Hardwick has started all 136 NFL games he's appeared in, including 67 in a row.
"It's hard and it's still setting in," Hardwick said on the team's website. "I have a touch of shock I guess and I don't really know how I feel right now. You're programmed one way and through everything you've done you've always continued to push forward and push through to find ways to get on the field. Unfortunately for this season it's not going to happen anymore."
The former third-round pick has been Philip Rivers' center for the quarterback's entire career. The pair became starters together in 2004.
With Hardwick lost for the year, Rich Ohrnberger will step in as the starting center.