Two 2-0 teams will go into Acrisure Stadium in Week 3 and only one will emerge with a third win. The LA Chargers and Pittsburgh Steelers were not expected to both be undefeated heading into Week 3 and it will be even more surprising when one of the two teams moves to 3-0 on the year.
Los Angeles and Pittsburgh mirror each other as the two teams lead the NFL in points allowed with two of the best head coaches in the sport. The key difference between the two teams is at the quarterback position as the Chargers have an All-Pro-caliber signal-caller in Justin Herbert while the Steelers recently named Justin Fields the full-time starting quarterback.
On a level playing field, the Chargers would have a massive advantage at the quarterback position. However, after suffering an ankle injury in the Chargers' Week 2 win over the Carolina Panthers, Herbert is not entering this game on a level playing field. Herbert missed several practices this past week, leaving many fans wondering about his status for Week 3.
Latest Justin Herbert updates vs Steelers
Update (8:30 a.m. PT): Justin Herbert is officially ACTIVE and will be starting for the Chargers in Week 3 against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Update (8:08 a.m. PT): Justin Herbert emerged from the locker room onto the field for pregame warmups.
Update (8:00 a.m. PT): Taylor Heinicke was the first Chargers quarterback out of the locker room and onto the field during warm-ups. At this point in time, two hours before kickoff, Herbert has not been seen during warmups. However, Herbert's helmet was seen being brought to the field.
Herbert was officially listed as questionable on the last Chargers injury report of the week. However, that is not enough reason to panic... yet.
All signs are pointing toward Herbert suiting up and playing against the Steelers in Week 3. While the injury is certainly a concern, Herbert's MRIs did come back negative early in the week and him not participating in several practices was precautionary more than anything else.
Of course, anything can happen right before kickoff but Herbert should be starting under center barring a last-minute setback. While Herbert is likely playing, the Chargers may not actually have the same quarterback under center against the Steelers.
There is a real chance Herbert is compromised in the game. The former Oregon Duck already dealt with a plantar fascia injury to his right foot and now he is dealing with a lingering ankle injury on the same leg. The Chargers are not going to risk aggravating the injury and compounding it into something larger, so fans should expect Herbert to be handled with kid gloves.
Herbert also missed key practice time heading into Week 3. This matters considering he missed several weeks of practice before the season. This may prolong the learning period for the new offense, naturally resulting in more sub-stellar numbers for the star quarterback.
Even a compromised Herbert is better than the alternative (especially considering Easton Stick is still, somehow, the backup quarterback). And if we are being honest, a compromised Herbert is probably still better than what the Steelers have on the other sideline.