The injuries just keep piling up over the weeks for Chargers QB Justin Herbert. They have become so frequent that questions are still arising surrounding which ones have had the most impact on his status. Amidst the bizarre circumstances, the team are still monitoring his progress with several injuries highlighted over the past several weeks.
Herbert’s Mounting Injuries Create Ongoing Concern
The one significant Herbert injury that has been the most discussed is a minor ankle injury he sustained in Week 10 against the Steelers. That injury has seemingly passed, and has often been joked about by coach Jim Harbaugh. In fact, when asked about it, Harbaugh simple shrugged it off by saying, “He is still a beast”. Needless to say, that injury ship has sailed. That did not mean the injury bug ship did as well.
Just two weeks later, Herbert seemed to suffer a concussion late in the second half of their loss to the Jaguars. He did enter the blue medical tent for concussion protocol, but reentered the game, only being replaced when the game was far out of reach late in the fourth quarter by Trey Lance. While this injury could potentially be written off as well, it still raises a pretty important question of Herbert’s long-term health.
O-Line Struggles Continue to Put Herbert at Risk
GettyWill injuries continue to pile up for Herbert behind leaky O-line?
At this point, everyone knows the struggles of the Chargers O-line. It has been severely weakened by the losses of both Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater, and new signings Mekhi Becton and Trevor Penning simply have not gotten up to speed. This has all led to Herbert being sacked a league high 35 times, more than any other quarterback this season through Week 11. Herbert himself has acknowledged the number of hits himself, but like Harbaugh, has seemingly brushed them off. “I think a lot of guys will get their bodies back this week and, you know, the rest will be good for us.” he said concerning the effects of the bye week”. he told reporters. Still, while he could be right, one can’t help but feel every drop back until there is confidence in the line from fans will be winced at. There may still be opportunities for some new acquisitions to prove themselves, but Herbert also knows that he himself can solve part of the problem by getting rid of the ball quicker. “It’s the tough part of the job, going out there and doing your best and maybe making something happen, and then too many times where, you know, I hold onto the ball and take a sack, an unneeded sack,” he said. “Sometimes a throwaway is better than a sack and living to fight another day”.
Overall, Justin Herbert has proven he is willing to tough out any injury he potentially sustains. But for a team that is constantly losing key players up front and doesn’t have many options to replace them, things could get ever stranger for the young QB. They’re still in the hunt, but they don’t want to fall out of it because of a major injury.
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