Los Angeles Chargers QB Justin Herbert did not participate in Wednesday’s practice ahead of their game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. That means little at this stage with four more days to go before the game, but it’s not a great sign, at the same time. Despite not missing a snap, Herbert sustained an ankle injury in last the Chargers’ victory over the Carolina Panthers last Sunday. Donte Jackson and the Steelers’ defense are preparing for him regardless because he’s that good.
“He looks like Herbert, man. He looks like a $50 million quarterback”, Jackson said, via the Steelers’ website. “When you’re running for 200 yards a game, you can’t really show off that pretty arm all that much because they’re not stopping the run. Ton of respect for that guy. He’s a great player. Can make every throw. He’s a very confident player. Great athlete, too, that’s not really talked about a lot”.
Herbert signed a five-year, $262.5 million contract extension last year, averaging $52.5 million per season. His average annual salary ranks seventh among quarterbacks with the top six all signing new deals this offseason. In other words, that’s a quarterback worth just a bit more than $50 million.
On the season, Justin Herbert is 31-of-46 for 274 yards with three touchdowns to one interception. He only has 24 rushing yards but once rushed for 90 yards in a game against the Steelers. Assuming he does play, at least a sore ankle might keep him in the pocket more.
As Jackson noted, the Chargers have not as yet had to lean on Herbert. They rank second in the league with 395 rushing yards, averaging 5.6 yards on 71 carries. It has a distinct Baltimore flare, the older Harbaugh employing the younger’s personnel. Former Ravens offensive coordinator Greg Roman is calling the plays, and former Ravens RBs J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards are toting the rock.
But nobody questions Justin Herbert’s ability as a quarterback, at least I don’t think. Over his first three seasons, he went 1,316-of-1,966 for 14,089 yards with 94 touchdowns to 35 interceptions. Last year was a down year, during which he missed four games, but the Chargers look like a different team with Jim Harbaugh as their head coach.
And even if Herbert isn’t throwing the ball a ton, he is effective when he does, even if their passing game has been on the conservative side so far. At least that is what Donte Jackson sees on the film. “The more I study him”, he claimed, “the more I see a confident quarterback back there who can put the team on his back at any given moment”.
I’m sure the Steelers won’t complain too much if Herbert does end up missing the game, but it’s too early to make a call on whether that might happen. Veteran quarterbacks really don’t even need to practice in order to play, and that applies to Herbert at this stage of his career. Unless the Chargers rule him out, the Steelers need to be ready for him. And they need to be ready for the best version of him, even if his mobility is compromised.
