Herbert completed 16 of 27 passes for 179 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions in Sunday's 17-10 loss to the Chiefs.
Herbert led the Chargers on a 10-play, 74-yard touchdown drive on their opening possession, during which he went 4-for-4 for 49 yards. However, he mostly struggled from there as the offense picked up only 12 total first downs and 224 net yards. Herbert has limited mistakes through four games this season, but he has also yet to reach 180 passing yards as the Chargers continue to employ a very conservative offense. Positively, he'll have a week to rest his ankle injury, as the team hits its bye week.
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Chargers' Justin Herbert: Active versus Chiefs
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Herbert (ankle) is listed as active for Sunday's game against the Chiefs.
Herbert, who was limited in all three of the Chargers' practices this week after having aggravated his high right-ankle sprain last weekend, approached the contest officially listed as questionable. With his active status confirmed, the QB will continue to work through his injury versus Kansas City. It remains to be seen how much Herbert's ankle issue will impact his mobility Sunday, but he'll give a go, with Taylor Heinicke and Easton Stick available to sub in should Herbert end up suffering a setback, as he did during Week 3 action.
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Chargers' Justin Herbert: Making progress
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Chargers head caoch Jim Harbaugh noted Wednesday that the MRI that Herbert (ankle) underwent Monday showed that the quarterback is "progressing," Daniel Popper of The Athletic reports.
Harbaugh added that Herbert might take part in practice in some capacity Wednesday after shedding the walking boot on his right ankle. The Chargers will release their first Week 4 injury report later Wednesday, when the extent of Herbert's practice participation will be known. In any case, the signal-caller's status will need to be monitored closely ahead of Sunday's game against the Chiefs. After Herbert aggravated his right ankle sprain in the Chargers' Week 3 loss to the Steelers, the Chargers could opt to take a more cautious approach with the quarterback in Week 4. Taylor Heinicke came to replace Herbert in the loss to Pittsburgh, and Heinicke and Easton Stick could both be candidates to start against the Chiefs if Herbert is unable to play.
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Chargers' Justin Herbert: Gets X-rays on ankle
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Herbert underwent X-rays on his right ankle after Sunday's 20-10 loss to the Steelers, Daniel Popper of The Athletic reports.
Herbert, who described the injury that forced him out of the contest as a "continuation" of the right high-ankle sprain that resulted in him taking a questionable tag into Sunday's game, was sporting a walking boot afterward, per Popper. The Chargers should have a better idea regarding Herbert's availability for next Sunday's game against Kansas City once the results of his X-rays are in, though the quarterback indicated that he is "hopeful" he'll be able to go through the same process that prepared him to be available versus Pittsburgh, according to Lindsey Thiry of ESPN.com. Before checking out in the second half of Sunday's loss to the Steelers, Herbert completed 12 of 18 pass attempts for 125 yards and one touchdown and carried once for zero yards.
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Chargers' Justin Herbert: Active, set to start Sunday
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Herbert (ankle) is active for Sunday's game against the Steelers and is expected to start, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Coming out of the Chargers' Week 2 win over the Panthers, Herbert has been tending to a right high-ankle sprain, which kept him from practicing Wednesday and Friday. The Chargers apparently saw enough from Herbert during his limited practice Thursday and during pregame warmups Sunday to sign off on him playing, though the fact that the team is keeping both of his backups (Easton Stick and Taylor Heinicke) active for Week 3 suggests that there still may be some level of concern about his health. In any case, Herbert should play through the ankle sprain so long as he's able to tolerate the pain, though his mobility in the pocket might be compromised to some degree. Expect the Chargers to continue to lean heavily on the run game, with backs J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards having combined for 56 carries through the first two weeks of the season.
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Chargers' Justin Herbert: Game-time call, but should play
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Herbert (ankle) is preparing to play Sunday against Pittsburgh, but the Chargers continue to list him as questionable and aren't expected to make a decision on his status until after pregame warmups, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Herbert is dealing with a right high-ankle sprain that resulted in him taking part in just one limited practice during Week 3 prep. The veteran quarterback appears intent on suiting up against the Steelers, but the Chargers aren't likely to allow him to play if his ankle doesn't hold up during warmups. Herbert's status remains in limbo, so fantasy managers who roster and plan to start him should be prepared with a backup option if he's ultimately ruled out ahead of the 1 p.m. ET kickoff. Easton Stick would likely take over as the Chargers' starting signal-caller if Herbert isn't able to play, though Taylor Heinicke is also on the roster and could factor in.
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Chargers' Justin Herbert: Questionable for Week 3
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Herbert (ankle) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game at Pittsburgh.
Herbert told Kris Rhim of ESPN.com on Friday that the injury he sustained during the Chargers' Week 2 win in Carolina is a high right-ankle sprain, which didn't allow him to practice until Thursday. During that session, he was spotted with a heavy tape job on his right ankle, per Rhim. Herbert also relayed Friday that it's "yet to be decided" whether he'll be able to play Sunday, so if the quarterback ultimately can't go, Easton Stick would get the call under center for Los Angeles.
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Chargers' Justin Herbert: Has high ankle sprain
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Herbert (ankle) said Friday that it's "yet to be decided" if he'll play Sunday at Pittsburgh, Kris Rhim of ESPN.com reports. Additionally, Herbert relayed that he's dealing with a high right-ankle sprain.
Herbert played all 69 offensive snaps during the Chargers' Week 2 win at Carolina, but afterward he underwent X-rays on his right leg, which were returned negative. He eventually was diagnosed with a generic ankle injury and didn't return to practice until Thursday, when he was limited. During that session, Herbert's right ankle was heavily taped, per Rhim, and now that the nature of the issue has been confirmed by the quarterback, it's no surprise he hasn't taken many practice reps this week. The Chargers will reveal a Week 3 game designation later Friday, with Easton Stick on hand to start if Herbert is unable to play.
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Chargers' Justin Herbert: At practice Thursday
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Herbert (ankle) is present for Thursday's practice, Eric Smith of the Chargers' official site reports.
Herbert was listed as a non-participant Wednesday, so his presence at the start of Thursday's session is seemingly a positive sign ahead of Sunday's game against the Steelers. The Chargers' second Week 3 injury report will be released later Thursday and will clarify the extent of the quarterback's practice participation.
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Chargers' Justin Herbert: QBs to Sit
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Herbert will hopefully be OK after injuring his leg in Week 2 at Carolina, but even if he plays in Week 3 at Pittsburgh, he will once again be tough to trust in one-quarterback leagues. Through two games against the Raiders and Chargers, Herbert has combined for just 27.4 Fantasy points, and he has yet to top 145 passing yards in any contest. The Steelers have yet to face a prolific quarterback in two outings against Kirk Cousins and Bo Nix, but Pittsburgh has also allowed just one touchdown in two games. Herbert is just a low-end starter in Superflex and two-quarterback leagues.
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Chargers' Justin Herbert: X-rays come up negative
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Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh said Monday that X-rays on Herbert's right leg were negative, Kris Rhim of ESPN.com reports.
Harbaugh said Los Angeles will know more about Herbert's status as the week progresses, but for now it's encouraging that the franchise quarterback at least has avoided a fracture. It's worth noting that Monday's imaging results don't dismiss the possibility of a soft-tissue injury for Herbert, who got rolled up on in the third quarter of Sunday's win over the Panthers but quickly managed to retake the field. The Chargers have Easton Stick and Taylor Heinicke available behind Herbert heading into a Week 3 matchup against the Steelers.
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Chargers' Justin Herbert: Gets X-rays on leg
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Herbert said after Sunday's 26-3 win over the Panthers that he underwent X-rays on his lower right leg after the contest, Daniel Popper of The Athletic reports.
Herbert, who was able to finish the contest after getting taped up, indicated that he "got rolled up" on after a fumble in the third quarter. In terms of how the injury might affect his status for the Chargers' Week 3 matchup with the Steelers, Herbert said that he would "know more in the next couple of days." Herbert completed 14 of 20 pass attempts for 130 yards, two touchdowns and one interception while adding 18 yards on six carries.
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Chargers' Justin Herbert: Plays game-manager role in win
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Herbert completed 14 of 20 passes for 130 yards with two touchdowns and one interception while adding six carries for 18 yards in the Chargers' 26-3 win over the Panthers on Sunday. He also lost a fumble.
Through two games, Herbert is probably close to unrecognizable to fantasy managers who frequently benefitted from his gaudy yardage totals over his first four seasons. With the Chargers able to stick to head coach Jim Harbaugh's preferred method of winning a game -- that being through a punishing ground attack and sound defense -- Herbert has attempted just 43 passes through two weeks. However, he did reward those rolling with him in their lineups Sunday by tossing a pair of touchdown passes to Quentin Johnston of 29 and five yards in the first half. Herbert also visited the blue medical tent after a hard hit briefly in the third quarter, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com, but he quickly returned to the game. Next up for Herbert and the Chargers is a challenging and second straight cross-country road trip, as Los Angeles will face off with the Steelers in Week 3.
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Chargers' Justin Herbert: Hardly needed in win
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Herbert completed 17 of 26 pass attempts for 144 yards and a touchdown in the 22-10 win over the Raiders on Sunday. He also ran the ball four times for six yards.
The Chargers tallied just two total first downs in the first half, its fewest in a half since 2012, as the team seemed content scrapping out yards on the ground. The heavy emphasis on the rushing attack finally paid off in the second half as J.K. Dobbins tore through Las Vegas' defense, opening up a bit of passing room for Herbert. A complete dud of a fantasy day was saved by a short touchdown pass to Ladd McConkey in the waning moments of the game as the defense completely sold out to stop the run. The Chargers could deploy a similar game plan next week against a seemingly hapless Panthers team.
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Chargers' Justin Herbert: Another full practice Thursday
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Herbert (foot) was listed as a full practice participant Thursday.
Wednesday's initial injury report didn't include Herbert's name, but that has been amended to note that the QB practiced fully through a listed foot issue. That said, Herbert -- who was diagnosed with an injury to the plantar fascia in his right foot July 31 -- indicated Wednesday that he's back to 100 percent, per Kris Rhim of ESPN.com. Meanwhile, the Chargers' franchise QB relayed that he isn't wearing any special kind of cleat or sole to support his foot, adding that managing the injury throughout the season is "not really on (his) mind right now." In any case, Herbert is poised to start Sunday's regular-season opener against the Raiders.
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Chargers' Justin Herbert: Not on injury report
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Herbert (foot) wasn't listed on Wednesday's injury report.
A few weeks of rest seem to have allowed Herbert to move past his plantar fascia injury. The quarterback returning to practice Aug. 19, and now that he's participating without limitations, he'll be ready to direct the offense Sunday versus the Raiders. The fact he isn't even listed on the injury report suggests Herbert will have his usual mobility Sunday in his first game under new head coach Jim Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Greg Roman. Wideout DJ Chark (hip) is the only significant injury concern for the Chargers offense, and even he may be more of an ancillary piece than a regular starter.
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Chargers' Justin Herbert: Looking good in 7-on-7s
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Coach Jim Harbaugh said Herbert (foot) "looked great with a capital G" during 7-on-7 drills Monday, ESPN.com reports.
Herbert was held out of 11-on-11s in his first practice since being diagnosed July 31 with a plantar fascia injury. He used a walking boot for two weeks and is now progressing through what the Chargers are calling a 'gradual return to play' protocol. Herbert should be ready for a Week 1 home game against the Raiders, but it's fair to wonder if the foot injury will impact his mobility or become a problem again as the season progresses.
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Chargers' Justin Herbert: Out of walking boot
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Herbert worked out in the weight room without a walking boot while the Chargers practiced Thursday, Daniel Popper of The Athletic reports.
Herbert was expected to require the walking boot for about two weeks as he tended to a plantar fascia injury, and he reached the two-week mark Thursday, so he's seemingly on course in his recovery. There's also an expectation that he'll be ready for a Week 1 matchup with the Raiders, meaning his next notable step will be getting back on the practice field in some capacity. While Herbert continues his rehab, the Chargers will entrust the offense in Easton Stick, a 2019 fifth-round pick with 175 passes in six games on his NFL resume.
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Chargers' Justin Herbert: Hot start to OTAs
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Herbert (finger) has impressed early in OTAs during 11-on-11 drills and is already demonstrating a connection with rookie wide receiver Ladd McConkey, Daniel Popper of The Athletic reports.
Herbert looks fully recovered from the finger injury that cost him the final four games of 2023, and after losing both Keenan Allen and Mike Williams (knee) this offseason, it's encouraging to see him already establishing trust with McConkey. Even with new coach Jim Harbaugh installing a run-heavy scheme, Herbert should still provide strong passing numbers working with McConkey and returning wideouts Joshua Palmer and Quentin Johnston. The addition of No. 5 overall pick Joe Alt, who's started at right tackle throughout OTAs, also promises more protection for Herbert, which should ease any adjustment to a new offensive philosophy.
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Chargers' Justin Herbert: Moves to IR, out for season
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The Chargers announced that Herbert will undergo surgery Tuesday to repair a fracture to his right index finger and has been placed on injured reserve.
Confirming what Tom Pelissero of NFL Network and others reported minutes earlier, Herbert will miss the rest of the season after having surgery to address the injury he suffered in the second quarter of this past Sunday's 24-7 loss to the Broncos. Herbert should be back to full health by the start of OTAs in the spring, but he'll wrap up his fourth season in Los Angeles with a 65.1 percent completion rate for 3,134 yards, 20 touchdowns and seven interceptions to go with 52 carries for 228 yards and three more scores over his 13 appearances. Easton Stick will take over as the Chargers' starting quarterback beginning with Thursday's game in Las Vegas. Max Duggan, a 2023 seventh-round pick out of TCU, is likely to be promoted from the practice squad to back up Stick.
