The Chargers announced quarterback Justin Herbert’s diagnosis of a plantar fascia injury two weeks ago on August 1. Two weeks in a walking boot were part of his team-mandated treatment plan. However, given the severity of the plantar fascia injury, it was questionable whether more than two weeks in the boot would be necessary.
Some fears can now be dispelled. Justin Herbert was seen training without his walking shoe on the first day he was allowed to take it off.
This must be seen as a step in the positive direction for both Herbert and the team. Although it will probably be some time before he can return to full training, fears of a re-aggravation or a larger tear can be put aside for now.
Given the current state of the offense, there is also an urgent need to speed up Herbert’s return. Since the Chargers’ star quarterback was sidelined, the team has struggled to move the ball in both practice and in their Week 1 preseason game against Seattle. The Chargers were only able to score three points against the Seahawks on Saturday.
QB Easton Stick had his worst PFF-graded performance since his rookie season in 2019 against the Seahawks. While Luis Perez wasn’t bad in his small sample size, questions continue to arise about the actual quality of the Chargers’ backups behind Herbert. With his impending return, Herbert at least ensures those questions won’t impact LA’s season opener.
Herbert is not out of the woods yet. As the Chargers mentioned in their press release a few weeks ago, Herbert will now go through a gradual process of returning to play. How gradual that will ultimately be will depend on his progress. While a return to practice soon is not out of the question, it is also probably not imminent.
From a team chemistry standpoint, it’s also good to return to practice sooner rather than later. Jeremy Fowler reported that people in the Chargers building were concerned about offensive chemistry without Herbert.
OC Greg Roman had mentioned that the chemistry with Herbert and the offense were also affected by this two-week injury layoff, so the sooner QB1 can return to the offense to complete his offseason installation process, the better.
Time will tell exactly when Herbert returns, but it appears that the original timetable, which called for him to play in Week 1 against Las Vegas, is currently being adhered to, as he will now have to remove his walking boot.
