EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert missed Wednesday’s apply with thigh and ankle accidents. Herbert mentioned the ankle damage is a sprained ankle and the thigh damage is a contusion. Both accidents are to his left leg.
He suffered each of them in Sunday evening’s loss on the Kansas City Chiefs — the ankle within the first quarter and the thigh late within the second quarter.
Herbert mentioned the sprained ankle is the “principal motive” he missed Wednesday’s apply. He mentioned he didn’t know if it’s a excessive or low ankle sprain. Herbert performed by a proper excessive ankle sprain earlier this season. When requested about practising Thursday, Herbert mentioned, “It actually is day-to-day.” The Chargers host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday.
“It’s how you are feeling,” Herbert mentioned. “If I get up tomorrow and I’m going test in with the trainers and I say, ‘Hey, I really feel like I can run,’ I’m certain they’re going to be fairly affected person with me, understanding that we bought to ensure that we ramp up and go all these checkpoint to be good.”
Herbert mentioned neither he nor the coaching workers thought he may present his teammates with “full-speed reps” in Wednesday’s apply.
“We have been all on the identical web page with that,” Herbert mentioned.
Herbert mentioned he suffered the ankle damage on a 3rd down on the opening offensive collection of the sport. On the play, Herbert escaped strain up the center and took off scrambling. He deked to his left earlier than slicing proper into the open subject. Herbert broke a sort out, then was dragged down by Chiefs defensive lineman Mike Danna.
Danna wrapped Herbert up by that left ankle, and it twisted awkwardly as Danna made the sort out.
Herbert didn’t miss a play after the ankle damage. He mentioned the coaching workers re-taped his ankle on the surface of his cleat with spatting tape. He returned for the following collection.
Felt snug going again on the market,” Herbert mentioned.
Herbert mentioned he was experiencing some ache whereas warming up throwing on the sideline. He mentioned he felt the ache when “rotating and type of stepping by the throw.”
“It was tough to play with,” Herbert mentioned.
Herbert added that the Chargers restricted the playbook over the rest of the sport.
“I didn’t really feel nice working out of the pocket,” Herbert mentioned. “But it was simply a kind of issues that you need to battle by.”
On a 3rd down late within the first half, Herbert escaped strain to his proper. He then threw downfield to receiver Quentin Johnston alongside the correct sideline. After the throw, Herbert took a shot from linebacker Nick Bolton, who made contact with Herbert’s left leg. That is when he sustained the thigh contusion.
Herbert left the sport for a play due to the contusion. He mentioned this missed play was not associated to the sprained ankle. Herbert returned for the following collection and completed the sport.
Taylor Heinicke changed Herbert for the one play. Heinicke scrambled for 12 yards. Heinicke was taking snaps from the beginning offensive line throughout the interval of Wednesday’s apply open to media.
These are simply the most recent illnesses in what has been an injury-riddled season for Herbert. He missed three weeks of coaching camp with a plantar fascia damage. He sustained the correct excessive ankle sprain in a Week 2 win over the Carolina Panthers. He completed that sport however was in a strolling boot within the locker room afterward.
Herbert began the following week on the Pittsburgh Steelers, however he was knocked out of the sport within the third quarter after taking successful. Heinicke changed him. Herbert began the following week on the Chiefs, however he was removed from one hundred pc. Offensive coordinator Greg Roman mentioned final week that Herbert “may barely transfer” in that sport.
Herbert mentioned this ankle damage is “in all probability not as extreme” because the sprain earlier this season.
“It’s positively painful sufficient to have the ability to miss a apply,” Herbert mentioned. “But I felt like I’ve been capable of transfer round a bit of bit higher this week than I did after Carolina the place I used to be put right into a boot and had problem strolling. But I feel we’re farther alongside this week.”
Over the previous few weeks, Herbert has been carrying a sleeve on his left leg. He mentioned Wednesday that he has been coping with swelling in his left knee. He referred to as the knee swelling a “separate damage” from the ankle sprain and the thigh contusion.
“You’re simply doing all the pieces you may to compress it, maintain it heat,” Herbert mentioned.
Herbert has handled vital accidents in his soccer profession. He broke his femur in highschool. He battled by fractured rib cartilage for almost your entire 2022 season, an damage he additionally suffered at Arrowhead Stadium. Herbert additionally tore his left labrum late in that season, which required surgical procedure within the offseason.
“It may all the time be the ribs. It may all the time be a femur,” Herbert mentioned, whereas knocking on the picket lectern within the information convention room. “This is nothing in comparison with that.”
The hallway exterior the visiting locker room at Arrowhead is reasonably slim. After struggling the fractured rib cartilage in 2022, Herbert bought imaging taken within the X-ray room. When he emerged, he walked gingerly down that hallway to the bus. It was the same scene Sunday evening, with two accidents to his left leg. Herbert walked down that hallway with a noticeable limp.
A variety of limping in Kansas City.
“It’s a protracted stroll, too,” Herbert joked.
Herbert introduced some levity a number of occasions in his Wednesday information convention. When he was requested to substantiate that this ankle damage is on a special leg than the early-season excessive ankle sprain, Herbert mentioned, “Yup, bought each of them lined.”
Smiling by some ache.
“To battle by this, it’s a part of the sport,” Herbert mentioned. “I feel that’s one of many issues that has made this locker room so particular, is all these guys are so robust.”
Required studying
(Photo: Cooper Neill / Getty Images)
