Despite recent surgery on a fractured hand, quarterback Justin Herbert said he plans to play in the Los Angeles Chargers' game with the Philadelphai Eagles on Monday night, defying expectations in a critical playoff push in the AFC.
The Los Angeles Chargers are in the thick of the AFC playoff race, and they're still holding out hope of catching the Denver Broncos in the AFC West division chase. And, of course, quarterback Justin Herbert is a big part of that story.
Herbert fractured his left hand last Sunday against the Las Vegas Raiders, but finished the game anyway. Doctors casted his left hand and he continued on for a 31-14 victory to get to 8-4 on the season. They presently hold the No. 5 seed — out of seven teams — in the AFC playoff bracket and are two games behind the Broncos, who are 10-2.
Herbert needed surgery to fix the fracture, and was back at the Chargers' facility on Wednesday after a day off. He didn't practice but participated in the non-contact walk-through portion of practice. He made it clear that he wants to play on Monday night against the Philadelphia Eagles.
"The plan is to prepare as if I'm going to play and see how the next couple of days goes," Herbert said. "Do everything I can to be out there for the team and the guys out there."
Herbert said doctors inserted a plate and screws to stabilize his left hand. He said he was wearing a cast to protect it from contact. He didn't do any throwing on Wednesday.
Herbert was hurt when Raiders safety Jeremy Chinn hit his left hand with his helmet on a scramble. Herbert stayed in the game despite the pain, and took all snaps out of a shotgun formation. He missed only nine plays while in the locker room getting the cast.
Herbert said he could still play Monday even if he doesn't practice. He's done it before, when he missed some practice time in 2023 with a finger injury but played anyway.
"It's not ideal (missing practice)," Herbert said. "It's definitely difficult in this league, but if that's the case and if Coach feels like I'll get the best shot for the team, then I trust his decision."
Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh said he's optimistic Herbert will play Monday, and that against the Eagles and that backup quarterback Trey Lance has been getting all the first-team reps in practice.
Harbaugh also that if Herbert plays that Lance might still take some snaps under center, in goal-line or short-yardage situations.
Taking snaps in shotgun formation eliminates the ball hitting his left hand while under center. And when he's handing off, he either used his right hand on runs to the left, and used both hands on runs to the right.
“As a quarterback, when it comes to handing off, you get really good at it,” said Harbaugh, who played 14 seasons of quarterback in the NFL. “You get ambidextrous with it where you can do it with an off hand. Like a card dealer, they’re very good at things like that.”
Chargers Roundtable writer John Gennaro wrote about how offensive coordinator Greg Roman plans on using Lance.
