The LA Chargers suffered an unexpected hiccup in training camp when it was reported Justin Herbert would be out of action for at least two weeks and in a walking boot. Herbert suffered a plantar fascia injury, which if not taken care of properly, could escalate into a more serious injury for the franchise quarterback.
The nature of the injury is already tricky as there are varying levels of plantar fascia injuries that come with different amounts of pain. The Chargers have been rather tight-lipped about the entire situation, so it is unclear just how serious this injury is or if the team is simply being overly cautious.
There has been talk from NFL insiders about the fact Herbert might be playing with pain during the 2024 season, which would mark the third year in a row that he is playing through pain. The most telling intel about the injury, though, is how the team feels about it.
ESPN's Jeremy Fowler recently sat down with Bolt Beat's Alex Insdorf for an episode of Bolt Breakdowns with the Guilty as Charged podcast. Fowler provided his insight on the Herbert injury and gave fans some important context about how the team itself is viewing the situation.
"I just sense from the people I talk to a little concern, but not panic," Fowler said. "If he's going to miss significant time in the season that would be a panic-meter rising but they do hope and believe he will be ready for Week 1. Could be a pain tolerance thing with this injury based on what I know about it. He's shown the willingness to play through pain if he has to but they are hoping it doesn't come to that this time."
Chargers are slightly concerned, but not panicked, over Justin Herbert's injury
This is great insight on how the team feels about Herbert's injury and it lines up pretty well with how the fanbase has processed the news. Fans are still optimistic Herbert can play in Week 1 and are not panicking about the season, but given the team's injury luck, there is always going to be some concern.
Fowler went on to say that Herbert's injury is "trending well for the most part," and the people he talked to said the situation was not ideal but was not a "dire situation by any stretch."
This really does appear to be a case of the Chargers being as cautious as possible with the star quarterback, which is exactly the right thing to do. Any ounce of pain should be put on the team's radar and that seems to be the case here. If anything, being proactive about the injury could save the Chargers' season, not hurt it.
The big question that remains to be answered, with time being the only thing that can answer it, is how Herbert's recovery will go. That is the variable in the equation that is hard to predict as the injury itself is so tricky.
There is a chance the injury will heal completely and Herbert is his regular self for the season. However, there is also a chance the injury lingers into the regular season, which would be problematic considering it is Herbert's plant foot.