Justin Herbert is dealing with an ankle injury for the second time this season.
The Chargers quarterback missed practice on Wednesday as Los Angeles started getting ready for its game against Tampa Bay on Sunday. Herbert hurt his left ankle during the first quarter of last Sunday’s 19-17 loss at Kansas City.
Herbert explained on Wednesday that the injury happened during a 7-yard run on third down during the opening drive. TV cameras showed him grimacing and walking slowly to the sideline after the play.
“It was difficult to play with,” he said. “It was one of those things where we limited some of the runs out of the pocket. I didn’t feel great, but it was one of those things to play through.”
Herbert’s left leg was also bruised after taking a hard hit from linebacker Nick Bolton during the second quarter. Herbert missed only one play and completed 21 of 30 passes for 213 yards and a touchdown.
“The contusion, I think that is something that is easily recoverable. I’m doing everything I can with the ankle,” Herbert said. “If I felt like I could have practiced at 100% and make sure everyone was able to get full-speed reps, I would have. I didn’t think I was able to do that today, so the trainers and I were on the same page.”
Herbert had a high sprain to his right ankle during the third quarter of a 26-3 win at Carolina on Sept. 15. That injury affected his mobility and some of the play calls in losses to Pittsburgh and Kansas City the following games.
However, this time Herbert is not wearing a walking boot, unlike with the earlier injury. The fifth-year quarterback also mentioned that the pain from his current ankle injury is easier to deal with compared to the earlier one.
“I’d like to see him get treatment and not be on his feet. He will do everything in his power to play on Sunday,” said coach Jim Harbaugh.
The Chargers have lost two of their last three games but are still holding the sixth seed in the AFC with an 8-5 record. After playing Tampa Bay on Sunday, Los Angeles will host Denver for a Thursday night game on Dec. 19, with both teams fighting for a playoff spot.
This is the second time in three seasons that Herbert is dealing with an injury after a game against Kansas City. In 2022, he fractured rib cartilage after taking a hard hit from Chiefs defensive lineman Michael Danna during the fourth quarter.
Herbert also missed two weeks during training camp because of an injury to the plantar fascia in his right foot. He had a torn labrum in his non-throwing shoulder at the end of the 2022 season and two broken fingers last year, including one on his throwing hand that caused him to miss the final four games.
Herbert has now joined Tom Brady as the only players to have not thrown an interception in 11 straight games with a minimum of 15 attempts in each game. Brady achieved this feat with New England in 2010.
The last time Herbert was intercepted was midway through the first quarter on Sept. 15 by Carolina’s Jaycee Horn. He has also gone 335 consecutive pass attempts without an interception, the fifth-longest streak in NFL history.
