Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert suffered a plantar fascia injury in training camp. The star signal-caller has been out since July 31 but it should not be much longer, according to Jeremey Fowler of ESPN.
He will spend two weeks in a walking boot, and then the Chargers will reassess. The sense here is if he needs a bit more time in the boot, the Chargers will give it to him,” Fowler reported. “Though they want him in August, they need him in September. If pain tolerance is an issue — which is normal for this injury — then Herbert has shown a penchant for playing through pain, including broken ribs in 2022. I would describe the Chargers' feeling on Herbert as concern but not panic.”
This is not the first injury of Herbert's short career. The broken ribs did not keep him sidelined and he finished in the top ten in MVP voting that season. He then had shoulder surgery after their playoff exit that season. He missed the final four games of the season last year with a broken right index finger that required surgery.
While it is true that Herbert has played through injuries in his career, the Chargers need the best version of their quarterback for the 2024 season. They lost every game with Easton Stick at quarterback last season to finish a disappointing 5-12. After an offseason overhaul of the coaching staff and offensive weapons, the Chargers have high expectations for this season.
Expectations for Chargers and Justin Herbert
The Chargers have the unfortunate luck of being in the same division as the Chiefs. Just ask the Jets, Dolphins, and Bills, sharing a division with an active dynasty is no fun. Despite that, they have the quarterback and coach combination that should make tehm a threat in the AFC playoffs.
Winning the division is almost out of the question for this season. The Chiefs continue to fire on all cylanders, have the best quarterback, a great coach, and have won eight straight division titles. That puts Los Angeles in the large pile of teams vying for a Wild Card position in the AFC.
Two of the Jets, Bills and Dolphins will be in that conversation, along with the Jaguars, Colts, and losers of the AFC North. There are very few clear rebuilding teams in the AFC and even though there are now three spots for grabs, the Chargers will have to put together a great season to get to the playoffs.
Jim Harbaugh gives them a great chance at putting together that season. A coach who has won everywhere he has gone, Harbaugh brings a new energy to a team that flamed out of their last playoff appearance. The intensity has already shown itself through his ridiculous comparisons to opening day of training camp.
The Chargers can make a serious run at the AFC Wild Card and in the playoffs if they have a healthy Justin Herbert for the entire season. As he prepares to come back from his training camp injury, the Chargers must ensure he is good to go for Week One to begin their championship window.
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