The Los Angeles Chargers entered training camp excited for the season ahead with quarterback Justin Herbert getting to work with Jim Harbaugh. Just a few weeks into practice, the Chargers quarterback situation took a turn.
Los Angeles announced on August 1 that Herbert would miss multiple weeks of practice after being diagnosed with an injury to the plantar facia in his right foot. Doctors encouraged him to wear a boot for two weeks and then gradually work his way through the return-to-play protocol.
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- Justin Herbert stats (ESPN): 3,134 passing yards, 20-7 TD-INT, 6.9 yards per attempt, 93.2 QB rating, 64.1 ESPN QBR
The promising Chargers news was that the team expected him to be ready for the start of the regular season. With Week 1 of the Chargers schedule not kicking off until September 8, the team had just over a month for their franchise quarterback to return.
However, as many NFL analysts in the medical community have pointed out, a plantar fascia injury can linger for months. Even if Herbert didn’t suffer the most severe injury, it still happened to the foot he plants off with. Furthermore, these injuries can limit the ease of which a player moves and they also put surrounding ligaments at a higher risk of injury.
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- Justin Herbert contract (Spotrac): $19.345 million cap hit in 2024, $37.345 million cap hit in 2025, $46.345 million cap hit in 2026, $58.345 million cap hit in 2027
That’s concerning for a team with Easton Stick as its backup quarterback. There also might be even more reason for concern in Los Angeles based on what’s happening at Chargers training camp.
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Yahoo Sports’ Jori Epstein wrote after attending practice that Stick really struggled with the added snaps he received with Herbert sidelined. Meanwhile, Harbaugh has voiced his displeasure with the quarterback competition behind Stick.
If Stick doesn’t turn things around and the Chargers start to sense that Herbert won’t be close to 100 percent by Week 1, the team might need to explore alternatives at quarterback. As for potential options, the best available might be veteran Taylor Heinicke with the Atlanta Falcons shopping him.
