Ian Rapoport gives Chargers fans an uneasy reality check on Justin Herbert's injury

Justin Herbert was diagnosed with a plantar fascia injury and put in a walking boot over two weeks ago, creating a hurdle for the LA Chargers to overcome before the start of the 2024 season. Thankfully, Herbert's recovery has gone as planned as the boot came off after exactly two weeks leading into Herbert returning to Chargers practice this Monday.

After two weeks of panic induced by awful backup quarterback play in the preseason, Chargers fans are starting to get comfortable again for the start of the 2024 season. This team is much different with Herbert under center. That goes without saying.

However, as promising as this timeline has been, the team does not appear to be completely out of the woods yet. While all signs are pointing to Herbert returning for Week 1 of the regular season, there is still the lingering issue of pain tolerance and how it may impact the star quarterback's play.

As far as Ian Rapoport is concerned, this injury may linger into the regular season not just in physical pain, but in how it might have a domino effect on the Chargers' offense in the early parts of the season.

Chargers may not be out of woods yet with Justin Herbert's injury

As Rapoport alludes to in the clip above, there is a real chance that the injury impacts how Herbert plays under center, at least early in the season. While it may be at a point where he can play, plantar fascia injuries can linger and are easy to re-aggravate without proper precaution.

For that reason, we could see Herbert operating differently than previously expected to protect him from making the injury worse. In the early stages of camp, it appeared that the Chargers were going to use Herbert's athleticism more, something his previous offensive coordinators never fully tapped into.

With a lingering foot injury, it becomes much harder to utilize Herbert's athleticism and get him moving out of the pocket. The long-term implications of Herbert making the injury worse are simply too severe.

If this is the case it will be the third year in a row Herbert is playing with some kind of injury that directly impacts how he operates. Two years ago it was cracked rib cartilage that had a noticeable impact for two-plus months. Last year, it was a broken finger on his non-throwing hand that changed how he could receive snaps and hand the ball off.

Herbert is still a really good quarterback even if he is not at 100% but in the stacked AFC, the Chargers need the best version of Herbert possible. This roster is still a work in progress so there will be times Herbert needs to put the team on his back and carry it to the promised land.

Just a few weeks of Herbert not playing to his ceiling could impact the Chargers' postseason chances, especially if there is also an offensive learning curve tacked onto the physical pain he might be dealing with.

Fans should still be relieved about the positive direction of Herbert's injury recovery, but it is important to recognize that the star quarterback is not out of the woods quite yet.