Chargers' Justin Herbert: Not slated to play Sunday
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Herbert (left hand/rest) doesn't carry an injury designation for Sunday's game against the Broncos but is not in line to play in the contest, Eric Smith of the Chargers' official site reports.
Herbert, who has been managing a left hand injury, was rested in practice Thursday and Friday, and the Chargers intend to rest the QB on Sunday as well. Per Omar Navarro of the team's official site, Trey Lance is slated to start in place of Herbert this weekend, with DJ Uiagalelei on track to be elevated from the practice squad in order to back up Lance, a scenario that should land Herbert on the team's Week 18 inactive list.
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Chargers' Justin Herbert: Limited practice Wednesday
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Herbert (left hand/rest) was limited at practice Wednesday, Eric Smith of the Chargers' official site reports.
Coach Jim Harbaugh announced Monday that Herbert is not in line to see action in the playoff-bound Chargers' regular-season finale against the Broncos on Sunday, with the QB's listed limitations Wednesday an acknowledgement that he continues to manage a (non-throwing) hand issue ahead of Week 18. In any case, if Herbert isn't officially ruled out on Friday's final injury report, he's on track to be made inactive Sunday, which sets the stage for Trey Lance to start against Denver, with practice squad member DJ Uiagalelei in line to be elevated to serve as the team's No. 2 QB.
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Chargers' Justin Herbert: Will rest Week 18
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Coach Jim Harbaugh announced Monday that Herbert and other Los Angeles starters will rest for Sunday's regular-season finale against the Broncos, Eric Smith of the Chargers' official site reports.
After losing to the Texans on Saturday, the Chargers still can be anywhere from the No. 5 to 7 seed in the AFC side of the playoffs, but it appears the team will prioritize the health of Herbert and other key players this coming weekend, as Harbaugh told Kris Rhim of ESPN.com that those with "the most bruises" and need "the most healing" won't play. Herbert will get two weeks to rest up after absorbing a career-high 54 sacks during the regular season. Trey Lance figures to get the nod under center for Week 18.
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Chargers' Justin Herbert: Gutsy performance in loss
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Herbert completed 21 of 32 passes for 236 yards with a touchdown and an interception and rushed six times for 37 yards in the Chargers' 20-16 loss to the Texans on Saturday. He also committed two fumbles but recovered both.
Herbert's busy stat line and the five sacks he took all speak to the unsurprisingly tough day he endured against a talented Texans defense. In fairness, the sixth-year signal-caller's one interception was costly but also not truly his fault, as a pass intended for Oronde Gadsden near the goal line bounced off the rookie tight end's hands and into those of the Texans' Azeez Al-Shaair to short-circuit a surefire scoring opportunity. Herbert also appeared to have aggravated his preexisting left-hand injury after a first-half sack, per Kris Rhim of ESPN.com, but he never saw a trainer. Herbert and the Chargers were unable to capitalize on an opportunity to move toward a better playoff seed, adding additional importance to their Week 18 road game against the Broncos.
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Chargers' Justin Herbert: Excellent in win
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Herbert completed 23 of his 29 pass attempts for 300 yards and two touchdowns and also added eight carries for 42 yards and an additional score in the 34-17 win over the Cowboys on Sunday.
Herbert played what was arguably his best game of the season Sunday, completely dissecting a Dallas defense that never looked like it had an answer throughout the afternoon. Notably the Pro Bowl quarterback was not sacked this week after facing relentless pressure the prior two contests, which had capped his fantasy impact as Herbert attempted to just stay upright. The 27-year-old spread the targets around dutifully, as Ladd McConkey led the team with six, but notably this was the first game since Week 10 that Herbert connected with a wide receiver for a reception longer than 40 yards. Herbert is likely to have a much more difficult time come Week 17 against the Texans, who boast one of the best defenses in the league.
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Chargers' Justin Herbert: Sleeper QBs
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It's been tough to trust Herbert lately behind his battered offensive line, and he's playing with a broken left hand. He has scored 16.8 Fantasy points or less in five games in a row, but he should get back on track in Week 16 at Dallas. The Cowboys are No. 1 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing quarterbacks, and only Geno Smith in Week 11 and Jared Goff in Week 14 failed to score at least 23.7 Fantasy points against Dallas this year. It's risky, but I'm willing to trust Herbert as a No. 1 Fantasy quarterback in all leagues in Week 16.
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Chargers' Justin Herbert: Helps lead consequential win
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Herbert completed 19 of 29 passes for 210 yards with a touchdown and an interception while rushing twice for no gain in the Chargers' 16-13 win over the Chiefs on Sunday.
Herbert persevered through a pressure-filled afternoon that saw him sacked four times, navigating an aggressive Chiefs defense to help lead a comeback from a 13-3 deficit. The 2020 first-round pick put a dent in that margin just before the end of the first half, hitting rookie KeAndre Lambert-Smith from 16 yards out with five seconds remaining in the second quarter. Herbert was relatively quiet the rest of the way, but he helped lead Los Angeles to the final six points of the game for either side on a pair of third-quarter drives. Herbert will continue spearheading the Chargers' playoff quest in a marquee road showdown against the Cowboys next Sunday afternoon.
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Chargers' Justin Herbert: Clear for Sunday
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Herbert (left hand) doesn't have a designation for Sunday's game at Kansas City.
Herbert played through a fracture in his left hand Monday against the Eagles, completing 12 of 26 passes for 139 yards, one touchdown and one interception, taking 10 carries for 66 yards and fumbling twice (one lost). Afterward, he noted that he underwent precautionary X-rays, telling Eric Smith of the Chargers' official site that "everything was clean for the most part. It's just getting the swelling down and continuing to get full strength in it and continuing to do as much treatment as I can." Herbert was limited in practice Wednesday and Thursday, but the issue won't stop him from suiting up again this weekend.
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Chargers' Justin Herbert: Limited for second straight day
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Herbert (hand) was a limited participant in Thursday's practice.
Herbert didn't report any setbacks with his fractured left hand while playing through the injury in Monday's 22-19 overtime win over the Eagles, with the quarterback telling Kris Rhim of ESPN.com on Wednesday that postgame X-rays came back "clean for the most part." The signal-caller had underwent surgery on his non-throwing hand just one week before the matchup with Philadelphia and completed just 12 of 26 passes for 139 yards, one touchdown and one interception in the victory. However, Herbert made up for the lackluster passing performance by carving up the Eagles on the ground, running for a season-high 66 yards on 10 carries. Though he's had his reps capped in both of the Chargers' first two Week 15 practices, Herbert still looks on track to start Sunday's game at Kansas City.
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Chargers' Justin Herbert: QBs to Sit
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Herbert played in Week 14 against Philadelphia one week after having surgery on his broken left hand, and he helped the Chargers get a must-needed 22-19 victory in overtime. But he only scored 14.2 Fantasy points, and he's been held to 16.8 Fantasy points or less in four games in a row. While he scored 33.9 Fantasy points in Week 1 against Kansas City, the Chargers offensive line has fallen apart since then. Even though the Chiefs have allowed three of the past five quarterbacks to score at least 20.8 Fantasy points, I would only use Herbert in Superflex and two-quarterback leagues. And Herbert has scored 15.7 Fantasy points or less in his past two games at Kansas City.
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Chargers' Justin Herbert: Limited practice Wednesday
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Herbert (left hand) was limited at practice Wednesday, Eric Smith of the Chargers' official site reports.
Herbert, who sustained a fracture in his left (non-throwing) hand during Week 13 action, was able to play in Monday's 22-19 overtime win over the Eagles, and while he completed just 12 passes and was sacked seven time in the contest, he wound up as the Chargers' leading rusher with 66 yards. Looking ahead to this weekend's game against the Chiefs, Herbert noted Wednesday that he's in a healthier spot than he was this time last week. "I think for the most part, it's gotten a lot better," The QB said of his injured hand. "I feel like my grip strength has gotten better and just being able to use it has gotten better too."
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Chargers' Justin Herbert: Active for MNF
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Herbert (left hand) is listed as active for Monday night's game against the Eagles, Eric Smith of the Chargers' official site reports.
Herbert, who sustained a fracture in his left (non-throwing) hand during Week 13 action against the Raiders and underwent surgery to address the issue last Monday, had approached the contest listed as questionable after being limited in practice Thursday through Saturday. With his active status confirmed, Herbert is in line to continue to helm a Chargers offense that will be bolstered by the return of RB Omarion Hampton (ankle) from IR. It remains to be seen if/how Herbert's injury will affect his ability to handle snaps versus Philadelphia, with the QB on track to wear a glove and protective guard on his injured hand, per Daniel Popper of The Athletic. Trey Lance is next in line for signal-caller snaps should Herbert suffer any setbacks.
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Chargers' Justin Herbert: Officially questionable for Monday
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Herbert (left hand) is listed as questionable for Monday's game against the Eagles.
Herbert sustained a fracture in his left hand last Sunday against the Raiders and underwent surgery in the wake of the contest. He then opened Week 14 prep with back-to-back limited sessions Thursday and Friday, before being handed the ball when simulating taking snaps under center at Saturday's practice, per Daniel Popper of The Athletic. Herbert thus may log most of his reps in the shotgun Monday, assuming he's made active for that contest.
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Chargers' Justin Herbert: Another limited session
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Herbert (left hand) practiced in a limited capacity Friday, Kris Rhim of ESPN.com reports.
Herbert missed a handful of plays in this past Sunday's win against the Raiders due to a left hand injury, for which he underwent surgery to stabilize a fracture Monday, according to Rhim. On Wednesday, Herbert told Rhim that "the plan is to prepare as if I'm going to play and see how the next couple of days goes." Herbert progressed enough by Friday to take snaps under center, per Daniel Popper of The Athletic, which generally is a good sign that he's trending in a positive direction. Saturday's injury report ultimately will reveal if he has a designation for Monday's contest against the Eagles.
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Chargers' Justin Herbert: Bust Alert (Start/Sit)
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Herbert is expected to play in Week 14 after having surgery Monday to repair a broken left hand. If that doesn't make you nervous, consider that Herbert has scored 16.8 Fantasy points or less in three games in a row. Now, factor in that he's facing the Eagles, who have held Jordan Love, Jared Goff and Caleb Williams to 14.1 Fantasy points or less in three of the past four games. The offensive line for the Chargers is a mess, and Herbert has been sacked 16 times in his past four games. This has the potential to be ugly for Herbert, and he's only worth starting in Superflex and two-quarterback leagues in Week 14.
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Chargers' Justin Herbert: At practice, won't participate
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Coach Jim Harbaugh said that Herbert (left hand) will be present, but won't participate in practice Wednesday, Eric Smith of the Chargers' official site reports.
The QB underwent surgery Monday to address a broken bone in his left hand, and at this stage the Chargers are not ready to say whether he'll be able to play Monday night against the Eagles, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports. Added context on that front will arrive when the team's Thursday injury report is posted, but if Herbert is unavailable in Week 14, Trey Lance would start in his place.
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Chargers' Justin Herbert: Undergoes hand surgery, day-to-day
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The Chargers announced Monday that Herbert underwent surgery on his left hand, and the quarterback is considered day-to-day ahead of next Monday's game against the Eagles.
After Herbert injured his left, non-throwing hand during Sunday's win against the Raiders, he wore a glove with a significant amount of padding, but he still completed 15 of 20 passes for 151 yards, two touchdowns and one interception while recording three carries for eight yards. Coach Jim Harbaugh revealed afterward that Herbert sustained a broken bone in that hand, and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported its exact nature as a metacarpal fracture on Monday morning. Rapoport also noted that the Chargers intend to have Herbert available for Week 14 action, but how he fares on the practice field Thursday through Saturday ultimately will determine whether it's him or backup Trey Lance under center next Monday.
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Chargers' Justin Herbert: QBs to Start
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The last time we saw Herbert, he was miserable at Jacksonville in Week 11 with 3.3 Fantasy points, and he only has 20 Fantasy points combined in his past two outings against the Steelers and Jaguars. But Herbert should be much better coming off the bye in Week 12, and I love his matchup against the Raiders at home. Las Vegas has allowed three of the past five opposing quarterbacks to score at least 21.2 Fantasy points, and Herbert scored 22.8 Fantasy points against the Raiders in Week 2. He should return as a top-10 Fantasy quarterback in Week 13.
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Chargers' Justin Herbert: Pulled late in abysmal outing
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Herbert completed 10 of 18 passes for 81 yards with no touchdowns and one interception while adding three rushes for 21 yards in the Chargers' 35-6 loss to the Jaguars on Sunday.
The sixth-year pro put together a performance that was about as poor as his numbers indicated, with Herbert finishing with a career-low yardage total. Herbert was sacked just twice but appeared to be under constant duress, and he failed to throw a touchdown pass for the first time all season before being pulled for Trey Lance in the fourth quarter. The Chargers will now have a Week 12 bye to regroup before returning to action in a Week 13 home matchup against the Raiders on Sunday, Nov. 30.
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Chargers' Justin Herbert: Start of the Week
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Herbert had a down game in Week 10 against Pittsburgh with just 16.7 Fantasy points, but he should bounce back in Week 11 at Jacksonville. I like Herbert as a top-five Fantasy quarterback in this matchup, especially since it appears like Oronde Gadsden II (quadriceps) will play. The Jaguars are No. 3 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing quarterbacks, and six quarterbacks in a row have scored at least 21.7 Fantasy points, including three in a row with at least 31.7 points (Matthew Stafford, Geno Smith and Davis Mills). Herbert scored at least 22.8 Fantasy points in four games in a row prior to facing the Steelers, and I expect him to get back on track in this game. He should go into his bye in Week 12 on a high note with a big game against the Jaguars.
