After suffering what appeared to be an ugly lower leg injury in a 26-3 win over the Carolina Panthers in Week 2 on the road, Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert is on the mend and should play Sunday at Acrisure Stadium against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
At least, that’s what Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh said to reporters Wednesday regarding his star quarterback.
“Crystal ball? I expect him to [play] — he’s getting better every day,” Harbaugh said of Herbert, according to a tweet from NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport. “Last night, we had a meeting with him and he’s feeling much better and good today.”
Previously, Herbert underwent X-rays for the ankle injury suffered against the Panthers, which came back negative.
Though he’s banged up, having also dealt with a foot injury in training camp that was expected to stick with him throughout the season, Herbert hasn’t missed any game action. That should be the case once again in Pittsburgh as the 2-0 Chargers come into town for a battle against the 2-0 Steelers.
If Herbert were not able to go, Easton Stick would serve as the Chargers’ starting quarterback. But based on Harbaugh’s comments, his starting quarterback should play Sunday in the 1 p.m. matchup.
Through two games, Herbert has completed 67.4% of his passes for 274 yards and three touchdowns with one interception in wins over the Las Vegas Raiders and Panthers.
In his career, Herbert has faced off against the Steelers just once, that coming in the 2021 season, which was a 41-37 win over Pittsburgh on Sunday Night Football in Los Angeles. That night, Herbert threw for 382 yards and three touchdowns to just one interception, adding another nine rushes for 90 yards in the shootout.
You can watch Harbaugh’s full press conference here.
