Justin Herbert is dealing with an injury that has compromised his ability for the third season in a row. After dealing with fractured rib cartilage and breaking a finger on both hands in each of the last two years, the LA Chargers' signal-caller is dealing with a high ankle sprain he suffered in Week 2 against the Carolina Panthers.
Herbert aggravated the injury in Week 3 against the Pittsburgh Steelers and had to be pulled out of the game as a result. However, the star quarterback still started in Week 4 and was more mobile on his ankle than the week before.
An early bye week then came at the perfect time for Herbert and the Chargers as the team got a chance to rest and refresh in Week 5. Now, the Bolts hit the road to take on the Denver Broncos in Week 6 and Herbert's status is the best it has been in a month. According to NFL insider Ian Rapoport, Herbert is close to being 100% heading into Week 6.
Justin Herbert may finally be unleashed by the Chargers in Week 6
If Herbert is indeed close to 100% then fans may be in for his best game of the 2024 season to date. Herbert has been underwhelming for a variety of reasons outside of his ankle injury and in Week 6 the stars may be aligning.
Denver has one of the best defenses in the league so on paper it may not seem like Herbert is in a position to succeed. The Broncos have allowed the fifth-fewest passing yards per game this season, which does not seem to bode well for an already struggling passing offense.
That being said, the list of quarterbacks who the Broncos have played is not that impressive bar for one name. Denver has succeeded against Justin Fields, hit-or-miss Baker Mayfield, and whatever bad quarterback the Las Vegas Raiders want to throw out.
The Broncos did do a great job against Aaron Rodgers and that is worth mentioning. The team did not do as great of a job against the Seattle Seahawks, who put up 26 points against the Broncos in Week 1 of the season.
Los Angeles has not been able to unleash Herbert yet and that works in the team's favor. Fans have seen it in doses thus far this season but there has not been a full game in which Herbert can feast. Because of that, the Broncos may not know what to expect from a Chargers team with a quarterback who is near 100%.
Thus, the Broncos may be gearing up to stack the box and stop the run like the Steelers and Chiefs did in the team's last two games. With that insight, the Chargers can counter the counter, leaning more into the passing offense and Herbert's health after a week off.
Of course, the elephant in the room is Greg Roman, who is not known for creating diversified passing offenses. But with five weeks' worth of material that he has not been able to use, this could be a kitchen sink-like game that completely catches the Broncos off guard.
It all hinges on Herbert's right ankle.