LA Chargers: What does Justin Herbert's injury mean for Week 9 vs Eagles?

A recently revealed injury could mean a major bump in the road for an LA Chargers team looking to take advantage of a favorable schedule ahead. Quarterback Justin Herbert injured his hand after making contact with the helmet of a New England defender late in last week's loss and was officially listed as limited in practice on Wednesday.

This is all more bad news for the young quarterback after having back-to-back disappointing performances. Herbert had the second lowest completion percentage of his career last week against New England, connecting on just 51.43 percent of his passes. He also threw two interceptions and was sacked three times in the defeat. The Patriots and Bill Belichick's defense have consistently given Herbert trouble--his worst career game was in New England last year.

Prior to suffering another defeat at the hands of Belichick, Herbert produced some unsettling results against Baltimore. Before the bye, he threw for just 195 yards and one touchdown with one interception. Considering Herbert had posted nearly 400 passing yards the week prior, that was a steep and concerning drop off in production.

Still, Herbert remains one of the best young QBs in the league. He's top ten in both total passing yards and total passing touchdowns. The second-year player also ranks No. 9 in quarterback power rankings this Week, despite the the recent pair of ugly games. The Chargers are still in good hands with Herbert under center.

This marks the second hand injury for Herbert this season, but Daniel Popper from The Athletic reports that coach Brandon Staley doesn't think the initial incident against the Chiefs has any lingering effect on his QB. That's a good sign that Herbert will be able to recover quickly from this setback.

Herbert's toughness will likely be on display again against the Eagles this Sunday, as he has yet to miss a single snap for LA this season, even while battling injury. If he doesn't make it out, backup quarterback Chase Daniel will make his first start since 2019 with the Chicago Bears. The second string player has started just five games in his career between stints with the Bears, Saints, Chiefs, Lions, and Eagles. Through his time in the league, Daniel has eight touchdowns and seven interceptions.

Hopefully Herbert will be rested and ready to lead his team to a bounce-back victory in Philadelphia. If his hand is still causing trouble, Staley will have to face a tough decision in resting his star player and allowing him to heal before more formidable competition, or pushing him out on the field to avoid risking a third straight loss.