While the start of NFL training camp is typically an optimistic time for fans as excitement grows to watch their favorite team compete, fans of one of the teams in Los Angeles are already holding their breath.
The L.A. Chargers announced Thursday that star quarterback Justin Herbert was diagnosed with an injury to the plantar fascia in his right foot after practice on Wednesday. The injury will force him to wear a walking boot on the injured foot for about two weeks, keeping him out of practice for at least that duration.
According to the team, the expectation remains that the fifth-year QB will be ready to play in the Chargers’ regular-season opener on Sept. 8 against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Herbert is set to be the signal caller for one of the league’s more intriguing teams in 2024. The Chargers hired former San Francisco 49ers and University of Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh to lead the team in January.
The Chargers finished just 5-12 in 2023 as the wheels fell off after Herbert suffered a season-ending finger injury in Week 14. The 2020 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year was likely to sit out of the Chargers’ pre-season games regardless of his health, but now the team will hope to have him back by the start of the season.