Los Angeles Chargers QB Justin Herbert will start against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday afternoon. Though reports have indicated this was the most likely outcome, Herbert is officially a go despite suffering a high ankle sprain in Week 2’s win over the Carolina Panthers. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport noted Herbert will get the nod after a successful pre-game warmup, the last hurdle to clear before being declared the starter.
However, as Rapoport notes, the team is likely to have three quarterbacks active today in case Justin Herbert can’t finish. That means Easton Stick and Taylor Heinicke are expected to dress.
UPDATE (11:32 AM): The Chargers released their inactive list. Stick and Heinicke are active and will dress. Per ESPN’s Lindsey Thiry, Heinicke will reportedly be the team’s No. 2 quarterback.
Herbert hardly practiced throughout the week and was spotted wearing a thick roll of tape over his injured right ankle. The Chargers listed him as questionable on their final injury report. One of the game’s toughest quarterbacks, it’ll be a matter of pain tolerance for Herbert, who will try to play through the injury.
How much the injury will impact Herbert’s game remains to be seen. A fairly mobile quarterback, he might be restricted to playing within the pocket. The offense could also feature him more often in shotgun or out of pistol than working under the center, which requires more stress to get away from the line of scrimmage.
On the season, Justin Herbert has completed over 67 percent of his passes for 274 yards and three touchdowns, relying on a sturdy run game and the league’s top-ranked defense. Playing on leads, Herbert hasn’t been placed in many high-pressure situations. But he’ll face a fierce Steelers’ pass rush led by T.J. Watt.
Pittsburgh and Los Angeles kick off at 1 PM/EST at Acrisure Stadium. This is the Steelers’ home opener.
