After years of avoiding the spotlight altogether, LA Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert has somehow found himself in a celebrity relationship with singer Madison Beer.
Beer may not have the same worldwide fame as Taylor Swift, but the NFL's latest celebrity couple has become the talk of league circles as Herbert comes out of his shell. This last weekend specifically, following the Chargers' win over the Minnesota Vikings on Thursday Night Football, put a spotlight on Herbert that hasn't been seen before.
Herbert and Beer attended a Los Angeles Lakers game, a Los Angeles Dodgers World Series game, and went viral for their Halloween party photos alongside Keenan Allen. All of that is merely innocent fun for Chargers fans. What fans really care about is Herbert's knee, which, believe it or not, sparked some concern on social media.
A rather unsuspecting photo of Herbert and Beer walking in Los Angeles is the source of the panic. Fans were quick to point out Herbert's right knee, which is usually covered by a leg sleeve. In the photo, Herbert's outstretched knee looked... a bit swollen.
Chargers fans are obsessed with Justin Herbert's knee in latest Madison Beer sighting
Coming from someone who was once diagnosed with Osgood-Schlatter disease (it's a real condition despite how fake it sounds!), I know what an inflamed knee looks like. And let me tell you, that is one swollen knee.
Herbert has attested time and time before that the leg sleeve on his right knee is solely to keep everything warm and is nothing to worry about. He's played pretty much every single game with it, and was even spotted with Beer in public wearing the sleeve.
Wanting to keep it warm for football practice is one thing, wearing it out in public before a date night is a new thing. Now, in this photo without the sleeve, Chargers fans see why Herbert is wearing it in the first place.
In reality, this isn't something Chargers fans should worry about too much. It could just be a bad angle, and even if there is inflammation, it's likely something Herbert can handle. He may just have chronic knee swelling that doesn't impact his ability to play quarterback. Heck, maybe he's with me on the Osgood-Schlatter train.
Writing about the Chargers from the comfort of my office chair is vastly different than playing quarterback for the Chargers, I get that. But if it is something similar to Osgood-Schlatter disease, I can vouch for Herbert and say it isn't that serious. Sure, it might cause some discomfort at times and require some extra ice after a game, but it shouldn't have a fundamental impact on his play.
But that is all just conjecture at this point. Herbert has never come out and said anything is wrong with his knee. So even though the photo evidence is concerning, fans should just trust Herbert when he says he is okay.