The Chargers have been in training camp for a little over a week, but there’s already some major worry.
On Thursday, the team announced that superstar quarterback Justin Herbert suffered a plantar fascia injury in his right foot, and he will spend two weeks in a boot.
The good news for now, though, is that the “expectation” is that Herbert will be ready to play in Week 1 after going through a “graduated return to play protocol.”
The 26-year-old has proven to be one of the best quarterbacks in the league since he debuted in 2020.
In that four-year span, Herbert ranks fourth in passing touchdowns, third in passing yards and third in game-winning drives.
Last season, the Oregon product amassed 3,134 passing yards, 20 touchdowns and seven interceptions while ranking 15th in expected points added per play.
However, Herbert only played in 13 games because of fracturing his right index finger in Week 14, cutting his season short.
The No. 6 overall pick in 2020 has developed a reputation for grittiness, including playing through a broken finger on his left hand and a rib cartilage fracture in the past two seasons.
However, soft-tissue injuries to muscles like the plantar fascia can linger, if not exacerbate, making it something to monitor for Herbert throughout the entirety of 2024.
Los Angeles gave Herbert a five-year, $262.5 million contract before the 2023 season.
After recording zero playoff wins and only one postseason appearance with head coach Brandon Staley, the team moved on and hired Michigan national championship winner Jim Harbaugh this offseason.
The new-look Chargers will also be down Herbert’s top two weapons in Keenan Allen and new Jets receiver Mike Williams, relying instead on 2023 first-rounder Quentin Johnston and second-round rookie Ladd McConkey.
Without Herbert, quarterbacks Easton Stick, Max Duggan and Casey Bauman will move up the pecking order throughout the team’s preseason, which begins on Aug. 10 against the Seahawks.
The Chargers start the regular season at home against the Raiders on Sept. 8 with the hope that Herbert will be back in the saddle.