The Los Angeles Chargers held their breath when star quarterback Justin Herbert limped after their win against the Carolina Panthers. The signal-caller said he was just “rolled up on” and has been dealing with an ankle injury since. Herbert was limited in practice yesterday, and the Chargers quarterback's status for Week 3 against the Pittsburgh Steelers is in question. But Herbert has been trying to play, even if he has to do so through injury. However, on an appearance on Scoop City, Chargers insider Daniel Popper had a discouraging update on Herbert's status.
“They're calling it an ankle issue, he didn't practice Wednesday, was on the field today,” said Popper. “Didn't really participate in the stuff that we saw, like the hand-off section. They were making throws with some tight ends that he wasn't participating in but I did catch him making some throws towards the end of practice as I was walking off. So that's sort of where things are.
“There was a little bit of limp when he was walking around, but he had a pretty heavy tape job on the right ankle. It was similar to sort of how the offensive lineman has their ankles taped up. But I always think that guy will play if he's on the practice field. He's one of the toughest players I've ever covered.”
What will happen if Justin Herbert can't play for the Chargers against the Steelers?
If Herbert can't give it a go, Los Angeles would likely go with Easton Stick. Stick took over for Herbert at the end of last season and failed to win a game. However, this team is much better than the one the Chargers had the previous year. The hope is that Herbert can play and help Los Angeles try to get their third win of the year. It will be a challenging game for the Chargers, especially since they have to travel to Pittsburgh for the contest. Both teams have a record of 2-0, each having flaws.
For the Chargers to be able to win this game, they likely need Herbert out on the field. However, the team will also have to weigh the pros and cons of having him play through injury. He is the franchise quarterback, so there is risk involved. The last thing the team wants is to get him hurt even worse and have the issue linger throughout the season.