Justin Herbert was on the receiving end of a huge hit last Sunday that knocked him out of the game and gave him a leg contusion. However, that didn't end up being a big deal for the LA Chargers quarterback as he returned to the game on the ensuing drive against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Instead, Herbert suffered an overlooked injury in the first half that had an impact on his play. Herbert was rolled up awkwardly on his left ankle and was seen limping to the sideline, where he would get his ankle taped by the Chargers medical staff.
It did not seem like a big deal at the time and wasn't considered a big deal until Wednesday when Jim Harbaugh revealed the injury. Herbert was held out of practice on Wednesday and told reporters after the fact he suffered a sprained ankle.
Herbert's status is a storyline to monitor heading into Week 15 as it could have a huge impact against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. After all, this injury already impacted one game, as confirmed by offensive coordinator Greg Roman.
Chargers OC Greg Roman on Justin Herbert's ankle sprain vs KC:
— Alex Insdorf (@alexinsdorf99) December 12, 2024
"It changed a lot about what we did."
"Testiment to his toughness. Really two ocassions he has to deal with something and fought through it like he does."
"You have to change your approach."
Greg Roman confirms Justin Herbert's injury impacted the Chargers vs. the Chiefs
The Chargers had to change how they operated offensively earlier this season when Herbert suffered a high sprain on his right ankle. Fast forward two months and the Bolts yet again had to change what they were doing offensively to account for Herbert's injury.
For the most part, this was not as noticeable in Week 14 as it was earlier in the season. The Chargers didn't have a great game offensively but they scored on every drive in the second half after the injury occurred. Herbert was not moving in the same fashion, but he did not appear to be compromised as the game went on.
It may have provided some insight on Harbaugh's decision making, though. Harbaugh had two passive calls in the game: punting inside Kansas City's 40-yard-line and running a draw play on third and long to settle for a field goal in the second half.
The punt happened before the injury and Harbaugh has since admitted he would take that one back. Harbaugh also said he would have approached the third-and-long draw play to Kimani Vidal differently, although that could have been impacted by Herbert's health.
With Herbert in no position to extend the play out of the pocket, the Chargers were limited in what they could have done on third and long. Any kind of rollout was not an option and if the pressure got to Herbert early then he would not have been as capable of escaping because of the ankle.
That may explain why Harbaugh was okay with taking the three points instead of risking a more difficult field goal. And while a first down was far from guaranteed, it does make Chargers fans wonder what could have happened in the game if Herbert was fully healthy.
Hopefully, fans are not left with the same what-if questions after the Buccaneers game.