Thanks to another amazing defensive effort, the Pittsburgh Steelers are now 2-0 and moving on to play the Los Angeles Chargers. The home opener for the Steelers is probably going to be a tough matchup. However, the Chargers might not be coming into this game at full strength. Quarterback Justin Herbert is nursing an ankle injury, the severity of which is unknown. However, head coach Jim Harbaugh provided an update on Herbert Monday afternoon.
“He got rolled up on, X-rays were negative,” Harbaugh said via the team’s YouTube channel. “I’m sure there’ll be further evaluations as the week goes on.”
Harbaugh isn’t willing to give much away about Herbert’s injury at this point, outside of confirming that the injury isn’t serious. Herbert said Sunday after the Chargers improved to 2-0 with a convincing win over the Carolina Panthers that the injury didn’t feel too bad, and he didn’t miss much time because of it. It’s likely he’ll be ready to play against the Steelers this week.
Herbert has been one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL since he was drafted, and he’ll give the Steelers’ defense their biggest test yet. Pittsburgh’s pass rush has been its greatest strength so far though, and if Herbert’s ankle is still bothering him, the Steelers could have an easier time bringing him down. He’s not a scrambling quarterback, but he’s also not immobile. Limited mobility will hurt his game.
Harbaugh made it clear that there would be an update later in the week, probably when the final injury report is released. That should help define what kind of state Herbert is in. If he doesn’t practice, it could still be bothering him. If he practices in full, the Steelers might need to expect him to not be hindered at all.
With how Mike Tomlin coaches, the Steelers are likely going to prepare to face Herbert at full strength. The Chargers also have yet to lose a game, and their rushing attack looks lethal so far. This will probably be a gritty game, and Herbert’s health could be a deciding factor. At the moment, it looks like he’ll be good to go, but we’ll see if anything changes as the week goes on.
