Herbert (finger) has lost the majority of his offensive playmakers with the departures of WRs Keenan Allen and Mike Williams, RB Austin Ekeler and TE Gerald Everett this offseason, Kris Rhim of ESPN.com reports.
That quartet accounted for 57 percent of Herbert's completions, pass yards and touchdowns last season. Still remaining on the roster are WRs Joshua Palmer and Quentin Johnston, the latter of whom is likely to be tasked up considerably in 2024. Coach Jim Harbaugh also is known for his desire to run the ball effectively, though Gus Edwards and Isaiah Spiller are an underwhelming duo atop the RB depth chart. All told, Herbert's supporting cast has taken a significant hit this offseason, even after taking into account that the team could be in line to draft a wide receiver or tight end Brock Bowers with the fifth overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
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Chargers' Justin Herbert: Moves to IR, out for season
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The Chargers announced that Herbert will undergo surgery Tuesday to repair a fracture to his right index finger and has been placed on injured reserve.
Confirming what Tom Pelissero of NFL Network and others reported minutes earlier, Herbert will miss the rest of the season after having surgery to address the injury he suffered in the second quarter of this past Sunday's 24-7 loss to the Broncos. Herbert should be back to full health by the start of OTAs in the spring, but he'll wrap up his fourth season in Los Angeles with a 65.1 percent completion rate for 3,134 yards, 20 touchdowns and seven interceptions to go with 52 carries for 228 yards and three more scores over his 13 appearances. Easton Stick will take over as the Chargers' starting quarterback beginning with Thursday's game in Las Vegas. Max Duggan, a 2023 seventh-round pick out of TCU, is likely to be promoted from the practice squad to back up Stick.
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Chargers' Justin Herbert: Procedure on finger likely
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Herbert is reportedly likely to undergo a procedure Tuesday to address his fractured right index finger, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Per the report, whether Herbert will have a chance to return to action this season will be determined by the anticipated procedure. Further details from the Chargers likely will emerge regarding the QB's status, but Schefter reported earlier Monday that Herbert isn't expected to play Thursday night against the Raiders. Easton Stick is next up for the team's signal-caller duties for any length of time Herbert misses.
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Chargers' Justin Herbert: Fractures finger on throwing hand
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Coach Brandon Staley said after Sunday's 24-7 loss to the Broncos that Herbert has a fractured index finger on his right hand, Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times reports.
Herbert dealt with an injured finger on his left, non-throwing hand earlier this season, but an injured finger on his throwing hand will be harder to navigate. Easton Stick replaced Herbert in the first half of the loss to the Broncos. The Chargers will be on a short week before facing the Raiders on Thursday, and Stick would likely get the start if Herbert isn't ready to play by then. Per Jeff Miller of the Los Angeles Times, Herbert will undergo additional tests Monday, and surgery may be needed to address the injury.
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Chargers' Justin Herbert: Ruled out of Sunday's game
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Herbert won't return to Sunday's game against the Broncos due to a right finger injury.
Herbert previously dealt with a fractured middle finger on his non-throwing hand this season, but his new concern impacts his throwing hand. Considering he's been ruled out this time around, his status now will need to be monitored to get a sense of his availability for Thursday's game at Las Vegas and beyond. For the time being, Herbert will yield quarterback duties for the Chargers to Easton Stick.
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Chargers' Justin Herbert: Hurts finger Sunday
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Herbert exited Sunday's game against the Broncos due to a finger injury.
Before sustaining his finger injury, Herbert completed nine of 17 pass attempts for 96 yards and a pick. In his absence, Easton Stick is in at quarterback for the Chargers.
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Chargers' Justin Herbert: QBs to Start
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The matchup with the Broncos is tough, and Herbert has struggled of late with three games in his past five outings with fewer than 16 Fantasy points. But I have a feeling Herbert shows up in this game at home. Despite not having much home-field advantage in Los Angeles, Herbert has scored at least 22.8 Fantasy points in five of six games at home this season. He's also making plays with his legs of late, rushing for 47 yards in two of his past three outings. It might not be one of his best outings, but Hebert will be the first quarterback to crack 20 Fantasy points against Denver since Week 4.
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Chargers' Justin Herbert: Contrarian DFS Play
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The Broncos have been very good against the pass as of late, but Herbert is too talented to be as low priced and low rostered as he's going to be in this game. Stack him up with Keenan Allen and Austin Ekeler, bring it back with Courtland Sutton, and you can go chalk everywhere else.
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Chargers' Justin Herbert: Not tasked with too much
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Herbert completed 22 of his 37 attempts for 212 yards in Sunday's 6-0 win over the Patriots. He also netted minus-5 yards on four carries.
The score tells the whole story in this one. Facing an opposing offense incapable of getting past the 50-yard line and miserable weather conditions all afternoon, Herbert and the Chargers offense were content just avoiding any mistakes. The result is a second consecutive week with a yards-per-attempt figure below 6.0, and Sunday marked just the second time all season the Pro Bowl quarterback failed to toss a touchdown. It might not get much better in Week 14, when the improving Broncos defense travels to Los Angeles.
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Chargers' Justin Herbert: Not needed much in win
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Herbert completed just 16 of his 30 pass attempts for 136 yards. He didn't record a touchdown or an interception in Monday's 27-6 win over the Jets.
New York's offense hardly threatened at any point in this contest, so Herbert and the Chargers were content to not risk any big plays. Only Keenan Allen (8-9-77) really did much of anything, and most of that came late in the second half as the team was positioning itself for the merciful dagger to an ugly overall game. Hopefully Week 10's quality matchup against the Lions will yield more production.
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Chargers' Justin Herbert: Masterful performance on SNF
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Herbert completed 31 of 40 pass attempts for 298 yards and three touchdowns with no turnovers in Sunday's 30-13 win over Chicago.
Herbert was on a mission to correct last week's rough performance against Kansas City, the only game in which he has thrown multiple interceptions this season. The star quarterback was locked in from the jump and likely could have challenged his near-perfect results from Week 3 -- when he completed 85 percent of his passes for 405 yards, three touchdowns and no turnovers -- had the Bears kept the score competitive in the second half. It was still an impressive display from Herbert, who is still passively recovering from a broken finger on his non-throwing hand. The Jets present a tougher challenge for the Chargers' quarterback next Monday, but it would be hard to justify benching a talent like Herbert in any matchup.
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Chargers' Justin Herbert: Struggles in second half of loss
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Herbert completed 17 of his 30 pass attempts for 259 yards and one touchdown to go along with two interceptions in a loss to the Chiefs on Sunday. He also carried the ball twice for five yards.
Herbert appears to still be dealing with the broken middle finger on his left hand, as the quarterback was spotted getting his splint readjusted during the game, per James Palmer of NFL Network. That didn't seem to bother the Pro Bowler too much, but the wheels fell off after halftime as both interceptions -- including a desperation throw in the final minutes -- came in a dreadful second half that saw the Chargers fail to put a single point on the board. It should get easier for Herbert and company next week, when the Bears come to Los Angeles.
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Chargers' Justin Herbert: Comes up short Monday
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Herbert (finger) completed 22 of 37 pass attempts for 227 yards, two touchdowns and an interception while adding 20 rushing yards on six carries in Monday's 20-17 loss to Dallas.
Herbert dealt with the Cowboys' vaunted pass rush well up until the Chargers' final drive, when he was sacked by Micah Parsons before promptly throwing an interception to Stephon Gilmore on the ensuing play. On a positive note, the quarterback's game was not limited by the fractured finger on his non-throwing hand suffered in last week's win over Las Vegas. Herbert even absorbed solid contact on a couple of his six rushing attempts Monday, confirming that the rest of his 6-foot-6 frame was in working order. Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs are on tap for Herbert and company Week 7, a matchup featuring two of the premier arm talents in the league.
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Chargers' Justin Herbert: Lights up Vikings
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Herbert completed 40 of 47 passes for 405 yards and three touchdowns in Sunday's 28-24 win over the Vikings.
There has been no sign of the Chargers' run-heavy game plan from Week 1 of late, as Herbert topped 40 pass attempts for the second consecutive game. He also topped 400 passing yards for the first time in his career, highlighted by eight completions of at least 20 yards -- one more than he had on the season entering Sunday's contest. New offensive coordinator Kellen Moore promised more downfield passing this offseason, and it certainly appears that he's willing to put games into Herbert's hands.
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Chargers' Justin Herbert: Tops 300 yards
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Herbert completed 27 of 41 passes for 305 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions in Sunday's 27-24 overtime loss to the Titans.
The Chargers were willing to put the offense in Herbert's hands, and he responded with an excellent performance. He completed four passes of 20 or more yards while also tossing touchdowns from eight and 12 yards away, both of which went to Keenan Allen. Herbert's volume was also reassuring, as he was limited to only 33 attempts in Week 1 as the team ran its offense through the ground game. Overall, he has 534 passing yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions across two games this season.
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Chargers' Justin Herbert: Plans to do 7-on-7 this week
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Herbert (shoulder) plans to participate in 7-on-7 drills this week at OTAs, Daniel Popper of The Athletic reports.
Herbert underwent surgery on the labrum in his left shoulder following the 2022 campaign and resumed throwing in early May. He's set to take another step forward in his rehab this week, as he'll participate in team drills for the first time this offseason, and he remains on pace to be fully healthy by training camp. A lingering rib issue for Herbert coupled with injuries to Keenan Allen and Mike Williams made for a disappointing 2022 for the Chargers offense, but the quarterback got a new offensive coordinator (Kellen Moore) and a new wideout (Quentin Johnston) this offseason, so there's optimism Herbert can bounce back in 2023.
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Chargers' Justin Herbert: Throwing at OTAs
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Herbert (shoulder) threw passes to teammates Monday at OTAs, Daniel Popper of The Athletic reports.
Herbert resumed throwing earlier in May, about 13-to-14 weeks after postseason surgery on the labrum in his left shoulder. He's doing well enough to throw in practice, albeit without any defenders on the field for the first day of OTAs. There's still a chance Herbert misses some reps this spring, but he's well on his way to starting Week 1 and has a couple new faces in town (OC Kellen Moore, WR Quentin Johnston) to help him rebound from a disappointing 2022 in which the QB's touchdown rate (3.6 percent, 25 total) and yards per attempt (6.8) nosedived even with a career high in completion percentage (68.2). The Chargers are counting on their offseason additions to help Herbert rebound to his 2020-21 level -- 7.4 YPA; 308.9 total yards and 2.4 total TDs per game -- or possibly even reacher greater heights. Offensive line depth again looks like a weakness for the Chargers, but they at least have star LT Rashawn Slater coming back from a biceps tear and an elite center in Corey Linsley.
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Chargers' Justin Herbert: Resumes throwing after surgery
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Herbert (shoulder) threw a football Monday, Jeff Miller of the Los Angeles Times reports.
Coming off winter surgery on a torn labrum in his left shoulder, Herbert hadn't resumed throwing as of late April. He's throwing now, which doesn't mean he'll be cleared for spring practices but does show he's progressing about as expected. Once he's ready to practice, Herbert will have a new offensive coordinator (Kellen Moore) and rookie first-round wideout (Quentin Johnston) on hand to help him thrive in his fourth NFL season.
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Chargers' Justin Herbert: Recovery progressing, not throwing
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Herbert's shoulder is roughly 75 percent healed, but he is still a few weeks away from beginning light throwing, Jeff Miller of the Los Angeles Times reports.
Herbert underwent surgery on his non-throwing shoulder in late January and has been rehabbing since. He may miss OTAs, as the team is likely to play it safe with its franchise quarterback, but there is little concern that he'll be ready for the start of training camp. In the meantime, Herbert and the Chargers have been in talks on a long-term extension.
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Chargers' Justin Herbert: Sterling effort in win
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Herbert completed 39 of his 51 pass attempts for 367 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 23-17 win over the Dolphins. He also ran four times for eight yards.
While fantasy managers may not be entirely thrilled with the performance, this was among one of the best games of Hebert's career. The 39 completions set a career high while the 367 passing yards were his fourth-most in a contest, but more importantly the third-year pro did it all while constantly maneuvering throughout the pocket, time and again stepping up, around and between pass rushers to create enough time to hit the open receiver. It's hard not to notice this type of outing coming with the trio of Mike Williams, Keenan Allen and Austin Ekeler all healthy -- the first time that's occurred since Week 1 -- and it's clear Herbert feels healthy himself after dealing with a severe rib injury since Week 5. Expect the offense to continue humming Week 15 against the Titans.
