Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert is pushing hard to get back on the field after a lingering high ankle sprain limited him in Week 3.
Herbert doesn't know if he will be able to suit up for a pivotal matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs, but he has made progress while working on rehab and treatment. According to the quarterback, he feels less pain at this point than he did before a Week 3 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
"It's early. But I'm going to do everything I can to play," Herbert said on Wednesday. "As long as we keep moving in the right direction with weight room, treatment, that's always the goal."
The former first-round pick out of the University of Oregon was able to take part in Wednesday's practice, albeit in a limited fashion. He was able to take part in 7-on-7 drills while moving around and completing passes.
"It feels good," Herbert said after the session. "Those reps are valuable."
From The Insiders on @NFLNetwork: #Chargers QB Justin Herbert sounds like a player adamant about playing, despite a high-ankle sprain. pic.twitter.com/YrqKnbTj9H
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 25, 2024
The Chargers have an off-week on the horizon. The Chiefs game is the last one before the Week 5 bye, so is it possible that Herbert just continues resting and receiving treatment until that point?
The quarterback acknowledged that remaining out of the lineup is part of the conversation. He does not anticipate this happening, however, as he continues to take his recovery day by day. Suiting up against the AFC West rival is the focus.
"The good thing about this, too, is that I feel better than I did last Wednesday," Herbert said. "As long as we keep moving forward and keep getting better and we're not taking steps back, I think we're moving in the right direction."
The Bolts quarterback is not the only player dealing with an injury entering Week 4. Tackle Joe Alt missed practice on Wednesday while dealing with a knee injury. Fellow tackle Rashawn Slater also missed the session while dealing with a pectoral injury.
The Chargers will also be without starting safety Derwin James, who received a one-game suspension from the NFL. James received an unnecessary roughness penalty for his hit on Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth last weekend. This was his seventh penalty of this type since 2018.
"Your continued disregard for NFL playing rules will not be tolerated," wrote the NFL's vice president of football operations, Jon Runyan.
"Substantial penalties are warranted when players violate the rules intended to protect player safety on a repeated basis, particularly when the violations carry with them a significant risk of injury to an opposing player."
