Chargers' Justin Herbert: Returns to limited practice
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Herbert (ankle/thigh) was limited at practice Thursday.
After being deemed a non-participant Wednesday, the QB's return to a capped session one day later has him trending in the right direction ahead of Sunday's game against the Buccaneers. Friday's final injury report will reveal whether Herbert is given a Week 15 designation, but at this stage it would be surprising if he's not available this weekend.
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Chargers' Justin Herbert: Back at practice
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Herbert (ankle/thigh) returned to practice Thursday, Eric Smith of the Chargers' official site reports.
Herbert -- who is dealing with a left ankle injury as well as a thigh contusion, per Kris Rhim of ESPN.com -- missed practice Wednesday, but the QB's presence at Thursday's session is a good sign with regard to his status for Sunday's game against the Buccaneers. The Chargers' upcoming injury report will clarify Herbert's official participation level, in any case.
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Chargers' Justin Herbert: Not practicing
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Herbert (ankle/thigh) won't practice Wednesday, Eric Smith of the Chargers' official site reports.
Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh said earlier Wednesday that Herbert is dealing with a left ankle injury unrelated to the one he dealt with earlier this season, as well as a leg contusion, per Daniel Popper of The Athletic. Herbert left Sunday's loss to the Chiefs in the second quarter, but then returned in short order and led the Chargers offense to 17 points after halftime. He'll likely play against Tampa Bay on Sunday even if he's not 100 percent healthy, although Taylor Heinicke and Easton Stick are taking extra reps in practice at the start of the week.
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Chargers' Justin Herbert: Downplays leg injury
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Herbert said following Sunday's 19-17 loss to the Chiefs that he doesn't expect the leg contusion he sustained in the second quarter to affect him going forward, Kris Rhim of ESPN reports.
Herbert said he "took a shot there and was in some pain, but felt good to go and went back in" during Sunday Night Football. The franchise quarterback could be seen walking with a visible limp after Sunday's contest, but it doesn't appear as though he expects to still be dealing with any restrictions versus Tampa Bay in Week 15. Herbert completed 21 of 30 pass attempts for 213 yards and one touchdown versus Kansas City, in addition to taking four carries for 12 yards.
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Chargers' Justin Herbert: Muted fantasy day
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Herbert completed 16 of his 23 pass attempts for 147 yards in the 17-13 win over the Falcons on Sunday. He also tallied one yard on five carries.
Herbert and the offense were content allowing the Falcons to beat themselves, and Kirk Cousins obliged en route to four interceptions, including a pick-six. It's not necessarily something actionable, but in J.K. Dobbins' (knee) first game on injured reserve, the Chargers' offense tallied just 17 carries for 56 yards, which in turn dramatically impacted Herbert's ability to dice up the defense via play action. What's more, Ladd McConkey, the rookie wideout who caught nine of Herbert's 16 completions Sunday, has been laboring through a shoulder injury for much of the past three weeks and then ended up leaving the contest with a knee issue.
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Chargers' Justin Herbert: QBs to Start
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Herbert was a disappointment in Week 12 against Baltimore with just 17.6 Fantasy points, and he failed to throw a touchdown for the second game this season. He was off to a great start with a rushing touchdown on the Chargers' opening drive, but he also had some bad drops from Quentin Johnston during the game. Prior to Week 12, Herbert scored at least 21.8 Fantasy points in four games in a row, and he should get back to that level against the Falcons. Five quarterbacks in a row have scored at least 21.8 Fantasy points against Atlanta coming into Week 13.
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Chargers' Justin Herbert: Uses legs to score Monday
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Herbert completed 21 of 36 pass attempts for 218 yards, no touchdowns or turnovers while rushing four times for 29 yards and a touchdown in Monday's 30-23 loss to the Ravens.
Herbert didn't post big passing numbers on Monday Night Football, but he helped fantasy managers with his second rushing touchdown of the season. The 26-year-old didn't perform poorly as a passer, per se, but it was also his second game this year without throwing a touchdown pass in head coach Jim Harbaugh's more reserved offense. Herbert has a high enough floor to warrant consideration in next Sunday's matchup against the Falcons.
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Chargers' Justin Herbert: Dazzling outing in win
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Herbert completed 17 of his 36 pass attempts for 297 yards and two touchdowns in the 34-27 win over the Bengals on Sunday. He also led the team in rushing with 65 yards on five carries.
This was easily Herbert's worst game of the season in terms of completion percentage, but the Pro Bowl quarterback continued to hit big play after big play against a soft Bengals defense all night. The 26-year-old also tallied the fourth-most rushing yards of his career thanks in large part to a 30-yard run in the second quarter that eventually helped put the Chargers up two scores following a J.K. Dobbins touchdown. It seems as if Herbert may have found his go-to target in this one too, as Ladd McConkey (6-123) recorded receptions of 28 yards and 27 yards, each beautifully delivered by the gun-slinging quarterback, on what amounted to the game-winning touchdown drive late in the fourth quarter. Herbert could be poised for another excellent fantasy outing next week against the Ravens.
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Chargers' Justin Herbert: QBs to Start
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Herbert comes into Week 11 against the Bengals having scored at least 21.8 Fantasy points in three games in a row against New Orleans, Cleveland and Tennessee. He has six total touchdowns and no interceptions over that span, and in two of those outings he ran for at least 32 yards. I don't love that he only had 18 pass attempts against the Titans in Week 10, but Cincinnati is No. 5 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing quarterbacks. And this game has the potential for a shootout, giving Herbert top-10 upside in Week 11.
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Chargers' Justin Herbert: Sleeper QBs
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Herbert is getting hot at the right time, and he has scored at least 23.5 Fantasy points in each of his past two games. He's worth starting again heading into Week 10 against Tennessee, and the Titans have allowed two of the past three opposing quarterbacks to score at least 21.7 Fantasy points. Herbert could end up as a top-12 quarterback in Week 10.
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Chargers' Justin Herbert: Season high in passing yards
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Herbert completed 21 of his 34 attempts for 237 yards and a touchdown in the 23-16 win over the Broncos on Sunday.
Herbert has had significantly better statistical days, but make no mistake, Sunday was one of the best outings of his career. Despite facing a Broncos secondary that had rightfully earned the reputation as one of the best in the league, the Pro Bowl signal caller was flinging it all around the field throughout the first half while dropping dimes against single coverage and throwing frozen ropes on 15-yard first-down darts. It was even more impressive given Quentin Johnston and Ladd McConkey both left at various points in the first half, although his top two targets did return during the contest. Herbert tallied a season-high 184 yards in the first half, and with the Chargers up three scores until the fourth quarter, the offense was content sitting on the ball over the course of the final 30 minutes. The 26-year-old could be poised to build off this performance against a Cardinals defense that allowed four passing touchdowns against the Packers in Week 6.
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Chargers' Justin Herbert: Logs another limited practice
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Herbert (ankle) was limited at practice Thursday.
After logging back-to-back limited sessions, Herbert likely will need to practice fully Friday in order to avoid a Week 6 injury designation. However, while the QB continues to manage an ankle issue, there's been nothing to suggest that his availability for Sunday's game against the Broncos is in any danger.
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Chargers' Justin Herbert: QBs to Sit
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Herbert went into his bye in Week 5 with 15 Fantasy points as his best outing in the first four games of the season. There's little reason to expect him to become a standout Fantasy option in this offense moving forward, especially in Week 6 at Denver. The Broncos are No. 6 in fewest Fantasy points allowed to opposing quarterbacks, and Geno Smith's 19.8 points in Week 1 is the best game against Denver this year, including matchups with Justin Fields, Baker Mayfield, and Aaron Rodgers. Herbert is only worth using in Superflex and two-quarterback leagues.
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Chargers' Justin Herbert: Still limited by ankle issue
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Herbert (ankle) was a limited participant at practice Wednesday.
Herbert had some time to rest his troublesome right ankle during the Chargers' Week 5 bye, but the quarterback's listed limitations Wednesday suggest that he continues to manage the injury ahead of Sunday's game against the Broncos. That said, the Chargers haven't indicated that Herbert is in any danger of missing the Week 6 contest, though he could be listed as questionable heading into the game if he doesn't upgrade to full practice participation by Friday.
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Chargers' Justin Herbert: Active versus Chiefs
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Herbert (ankle) is listed as active for Sunday's game against the Chiefs.
Herbert, who was limited in all three of the Chargers' practices this week after having aggravated his high right-ankle sprain last weekend, approached the contest officially listed as questionable. With his active status confirmed, the QB will continue to work through his injury versus Kansas City. It remains to be seen how much Herbert's ankle issue will impact his mobility Sunday, but he'll give a go, with Taylor Heinicke and Easton Stick available to sub in should Herbert end up suffering a setback, as he did during Week 3 action.
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Chargers' Justin Herbert: Making progress
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Chargers head caoch Jim Harbaugh noted Wednesday that the MRI that Herbert (ankle) underwent Monday showed that the quarterback is "progressing," Daniel Popper of The Athletic reports.
Harbaugh added that Herbert might take part in practice in some capacity Wednesday after shedding the walking boot on his right ankle. The Chargers will release their first Week 4 injury report later Wednesday, when the extent of Herbert's practice participation will be known. In any case, the signal-caller's status will need to be monitored closely ahead of Sunday's game against the Chiefs. After Herbert aggravated his right ankle sprain in the Chargers' Week 3 loss to the Steelers, the Chargers could opt to take a more cautious approach with the quarterback in Week 4. Taylor Heinicke came to replace Herbert in the loss to Pittsburgh, and Heinicke and Easton Stick could both be candidates to start against the Chiefs if Herbert is unable to play.
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Chargers' Justin Herbert: Gets X-rays on ankle
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Herbert underwent X-rays on his right ankle after Sunday's 20-10 loss to the Steelers, Daniel Popper of The Athletic reports.
Herbert, who described the injury that forced him out of the contest as a "continuation" of the right high-ankle sprain that resulted in him taking a questionable tag into Sunday's game, was sporting a walking boot afterward, per Popper. The Chargers should have a better idea regarding Herbert's availability for next Sunday's game against Kansas City once the results of his X-rays are in, though the quarterback indicated that he is "hopeful" he'll be able to go through the same process that prepared him to be available versus Pittsburgh, according to Lindsey Thiry of ESPN.com. Before checking out in the second half of Sunday's loss to the Steelers, Herbert completed 12 of 18 pass attempts for 125 yards and one touchdown and carried once for zero yards.
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Chargers' Justin Herbert: Active, set to start Sunday
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Herbert (ankle) is active for Sunday's game against the Steelers and is expected to start, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Coming out of the Chargers' Week 2 win over the Panthers, Herbert has been tending to a right high-ankle sprain, which kept him from practicing Wednesday and Friday. The Chargers apparently saw enough from Herbert during his limited practice Thursday and during pregame warmups Sunday to sign off on him playing, though the fact that the team is keeping both of his backups (Easton Stick and Taylor Heinicke) active for Week 3 suggests that there still may be some level of concern about his health. In any case, Herbert should play through the ankle sprain so long as he's able to tolerate the pain, though his mobility in the pocket might be compromised to some degree. Expect the Chargers to continue to lean heavily on the run game, with backs J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards having combined for 56 carries through the first two weeks of the season.
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Chargers' Justin Herbert: Game-time call, but should play
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Herbert (ankle) is preparing to play Sunday against Pittsburgh, but the Chargers continue to list him as questionable and aren't expected to make a decision on his status until after pregame warmups, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Herbert is dealing with a right high-ankle sprain that resulted in him taking part in just one limited practice during Week 3 prep. The veteran quarterback appears intent on suiting up against the Steelers, but the Chargers aren't likely to allow him to play if his ankle doesn't hold up during warmups. Herbert's status remains in limbo, so fantasy managers who roster and plan to start him should be prepared with a backup option if he's ultimately ruled out ahead of the 1 p.m. ET kickoff. Easton Stick would likely take over as the Chargers' starting signal-caller if Herbert isn't able to play, though Taylor Heinicke is also on the roster and could factor in.
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Chargers' Justin Herbert: Questionable for Week 3
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Herbert (ankle) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game at Pittsburgh.
Herbert told Kris Rhim of ESPN.com on Friday that the injury he sustained during the Chargers' Week 2 win in Carolina is a high right-ankle sprain, which didn't allow him to practice until Thursday. During that session, he was spotted with a heavy tape job on his right ankle, per Rhim. Herbert also relayed Friday that it's "yet to be decided" whether he'll be able to play Sunday, so if the quarterback ultimately can't go, Easton Stick would get the call under center for Los Angeles.
