Justin Herbert returned to the football field Wednesday, a positive sign, even if he only saw limited action.
The NFL Network’s Bridget Condon reported that the Los Angeles Chargers quarterback was spotted “skipping, twisting and stretching” during practice but did not throw any passes during the portion of the session open to the media. Backup Chase Daniel worked with the first team and is in line to start if Herbert can’t go Sunday at home against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Still… pretty positive to see Justin Herbert at practice https://t.co/7frHxvuF1V
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 21, 2022
Herbert suffered fractured rib cartilage in last Thursday night’s loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. While he appeared to be in so much pain at one point during the game he couldn’t scramble an easy yard for a first down, he later appeared to be fine after throwing a beautiful pass deep down field to set up a late touchdown.
Condon also reported Wednesday that a source revealed “Herbert was throwing yesterday and looked like his normal self.”
A source in the building tells me Justin Herbert was throwing yesterday and looked like his normal self. #Chargers #BoltUp @nflnetwork pic.twitter.com/UMNtpvle4O
— Bridget Condon (@BridgetCondon_) September 21, 2022
The extra days of rest following the Thursday night game may have helped Herbert’s recovery. It appears he’s on track to play Sunday, but this is obviously a situation where the Chargers might opt to play it safe with their franchise quarterback. They’re heavy favorites against the Jaguars, Daniel is an accomplished backup QB, and an extra week of recuperation would help Herbert. Stay tuned.
