Los Angeles Chargers star quarterback Justin Herbert suffered a fracture to his rib cartilage late in the Week 2 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, and was considered questionable to play Sunday vs. the Jacksonville Jaguars. However, when the Chargers released their inactives Sunday afternoon, Herbert was not included. He will dress, and start today, per ESPN.
If Herbert was unable to go, Chase Daniel would have started in his place. What's interesting is that three quarterbacks are active today for L.A., per The Athletic. Herbert, Daniel and Easton Stick are all dressed.
According to ESPN, the Chargers medical team "encouraged" Herbert to play the long game in weighing this decision, as the rib cartilage injury can last several weeks to several months. Herbert will sport a rib protector, but it cannot fully protect him when he rotates in a throwing motion. He also reportedly took a pain injection with the assistance of an ultrasound imaging monitor.
Herbert practiced in a limited fashion on Wednesday and Thursday this week, but sat out on Friday. Daniel is entering his second season with the Chargers, but he hasn't started a game since 2019 when he was with the Chicago Bears. In his career, the 35-year-old has started a total of five games, going 2-3.