Chargers’ Jim Harbaugh: QB Justin Herbert has ankle injury, expected to play vs. Steelers

National Football League

Published Sep. 18, 2024 12:42 p.m. ET

Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert suffered an ankle injury in the team’s Week 2 win against the Carolina Panthers, which head coach Jim Harbaugh said that the signal-caller is “working through.”

However, Harbaugh is bullish that Herbert will start in the Chargers’ Week 3 road matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

“Crystal ball? I expect him to [play] — he’s getting better every day,” Harbaugh said about Herbert’s Week 3 availability on Wednesday, according to NFL.com. “Last night, we had a meeting with him, and he’s feeling much better and good today.”

Herbert’s 2023 season ended after 13 games due to a finger injury, and he played through a rib issue in 2022.

If Herbert can’t go on Sunday, Harbaugh said that Easton Stick would get the nod at quarterback. Stick started in place of Herbert for the last four games of 2023.

The Chargers’ Week 3 road bout with the Steelers is a game between two surprising 2-0 teams. Justin Fields will start again for Pittsburgh as Russell Wilson continues to deal with a calf injury.

Through the Chargers’ first two games, Herbert has totaled 274 passing yards, three passing touchdowns, one interception and a 95.7 passer rating, while completing 67.4% of his passes. Their Week 1 win came against the AFC West-rival Las Vegas Raiders, who overcame a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit to beat the Baltimore Ravens on the road in Week 2.

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National Football League

Los Angeles Chargers

Justin Herbert