Quarterback Justin Herbert did not take part in practice on Wednesday as the Los Angeles Chargers started getting ready for their game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday.
Herbert injured his right ankle during the third quarter of last Sunday’s 26-3 win over the Carolina Panthers. He was not seen on the field at UNC Charlotte during the media viewing period at the beginning of practice.
The Chargers are 2-0 for the first time since 2012 and stayed in Charlotte this week due to playing two games in the Eastern time zone.
Coach Jim Harbaugh mentioned on Monday that X-rays on Herbert’s ankle showed no serious damage. Before practice on Wednesday, he said he expects Herbert to continue improving throughout the week.
“I was in a meeting with him and he said he was feeling much better and good today,” Harbaugh said.
The injury occurred with 2:03 left in the third quarter. Herbert moved up in the pocket, but linebacker D.J. Johnson rolled into his lower right leg from behind as he fumbled the ball at the Carolina 20-yard line.
Herbert walked slowly to the sideline and pointed to his right ankle while speaking with trainers. He briefly went into the medical tent but didn’t miss any plays after getting his ankle taped.
He completed 14 of 20 passes for 130 yards with two touchdowns and one interception, marking his lowest passing yardage in a full game in five seasons in the NFL.
This is the second time in three seasons that Herbert is dealing with an injury heading into Week 3. In 2022, he suffered fractured rib cartilage after taking a hard hit from Kansas City defensive lineman Michael Danna in a game against the Chiefs.
Herbert was listed as questionable before the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, but he did play. He completed 25 of 45 passes for 297 yards with one touchdown and one interception in a 38-10 loss.
Herbert missed two weeks during training camp due to an injury to the plantar fascia in his right foot, but he has been fully participating in practice during the first two weeks of the regular season.
He also had a torn labrum in his non-throwing shoulder near the end of the 2022 season and suffered two broken fingers last year, including one on his throwing hand that caused him to miss the last four games.
Easton Stick, who has four regular-season starts in over five seasons, is the backup quarterback, even though the Chargers acquired Taylor Heinicke from the Atlanta Falcons at the end of the preseason.
Heinicke, who has started 29 games in his seven-year career, has been inactive for the first two games of the season and is listed as the emergency third quarterback.
When asked who would start on Sunday if Herbert couldn’t play, Harbaugh said, “right now it’s Easton, but we’re going to be way over the legal limit of what-ifs.”
The Chargers’ strong start is largely due to their running game. J.K. Dobbins is leading the league with 266 rushing yards and is the first player since San Francisco’s Garrison Hearst in 1998 to achieve 130 rushing yards and a touchdown in each of his team’s first two games.
Los Angeles has an average of 197.5 rushing yards, which is second in the NFL. Herbert has only thrown the ball 46 times in the first two games but has three touchdown passes.
The Chargers have called 48 pass plays compared to 71 designed runs, making their 40.8% pass rate the third lowest in the league.
